Tyrel Dodson (born June 25, 1998) is an American professional football linebacker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Texas A&M.

Tyrel Dodson
Miami Dolphins
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1998-06-25) June 25, 1998 (age 26)
Franklin, Tennessee, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:237 lb (108 kg)
Career information
High school:Centennial (Franklin, Tennessee)
College:Texas A&M (2016–2018)
Undrafted:2019
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career NFL statistics as of Week 10, 2024
Total tackles:214
Sacks:6.5
Forced fumbles:2
Fumble recoveries:2
Pass deflections:6
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Dodson grew up in Franklin, Tennessee, raised by his single mother Angela,[1] and was rated a 4-star prospect by 24/7 Sports and Rivals after garnering several awards as a high school senior at Centennial High School. He attended college at Texas A&M University, choosing to play for their college football team over other schools such as Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and others. As a freshman in 2016, Dodson recorded 27 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss, and recorded a fumble recovery as a reserve linebacker. He garnered a team-leading 105 tackles as a sophomore, with 11.0 for a loss and 5.5 quarterback sacks in addition to 3 interceptions and 6 pass breakups. After a strong junior year in which he finished third on the team with 61 tackles, Dodson announced that he would forgo his senior year and declare for the NFL draft.[2]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 0+38 in
(1.84 m)
237 lb
(108 kg)
31+34 in
(0.81 m)
9+18 in
(0.23 m)
4.60 s 1.61 s 2.68 s 4.50 s 7.59 s 35.0 in
(0.89 m)
9 ft 10 in
(3.00 m)
24 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[3][4]

Buffalo Bills

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Dodson signed with the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL draft. Following an incident in Arizona in which he was arrested and accused of domestic violence, Dodson received a six-game suspension after pleading guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges.[5] He was later waived and re-signed to the practice squad upon finishing his suspension.[6]

Dodson made his first regular season appearance on September 13, 2020, during a 27–17 win over the New York Jets. He entered in place of starting middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who suffered a shoulder injury, and was himself injured later in the game.[7] Dodson recorded his first career sack during the game, taking down Jets quarterback Sam Darnold.[8] With Edmunds out the following week against the Miami Dolphins, Dodson made his first career start.[9] He was placed on injured reserve on October 24, 2020.[10] He was activated on December 12, 2020.[11]

Dodson played in 16 games in the 2021 season and recorded 15 tackles.[12] On February 10, 2022, Dodson signed a one-year contract extension with the Bills.[13]

In the 2022 season, Dodson appeared in 16 games and started three. He finished with one sack, 32 total tackles (22 solo), and one fumble recovery.[14]

On March 14, 2023, Dodson signed another one-year contract extension.[15] He competed for the starting middle linebacker position in the wake of Edmunds' departure in free agency,[16] but lost out to Terrel Bernard, who had missed most of preseason.[17] Despite this, Dodson would be thrust into the starting lineup himself when All-Pro Matt Milano suffered a season-ending leg fracture. Dodson finished the season with 10 starts and a career-high in playing time, with most of his snaps being on run defense. He was also graded as the Bills' most-improved player that season by Pro Football Focus, improving his score to 89.5, the second highest among linebackers league-wide, from a 2022 score of 48.4.[18]

Seattle Seahawks

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On March 14, 2024, Dodson signed with the Seattle Seahawks[19]

On July 18, 2024, Dodson was placed on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.[20] On July 23, he was activated from the PUP list after passing his physical.[21]

Dodson was waived by the Seahawks on November 11, 2024.[22]

Miami Dolphins

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Dodson was claimed off waivers by the Miami Dolphins on November 12, 2024.[23]

Personal life

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Dodson was the first alumnus from Centennial High School to make it into the NFL. He hosted a football camp for the school in 2021.[1]

NFL career statistics

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Legend
Bold Career high

Regular season

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Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast TFL QBH Sck Sfty PD Int Yds Y/I Lng TD FF FR Yds Y/R TD
2019 BUF suspended / DNP
2020 BUF 10 2 22 13 9 2 0 1.0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2021 BUF 16 0 15 10 5 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022 BUF 16 3 2 32 22 10 1 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.0 0
2023 BUF 17 10 74 57 17 8 6 2.5 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0.0 0
2024 SEA 9 9 71 40 31 5 3 2.0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.0 0
Career 68 24 214 143 71 11 10 6.5 0 6 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0.0 0

Postseason

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Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP GS Cmb Solo Ast TFL QBH Sck Sfty PD Int Yds Y/I Lng TD FF FR Yds Y/R TD
2019 BUF DNP
2020 BUF
2021 BUF 2 0 2 1 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022 BUF 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 -1 -1.0 0
2023 BUF 1 1 8 7 1 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career 5 1 10 8 2 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 -1 -1.0 0

References

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  1. ^ a b Skurski, Jay (July 17, 2021). "Bills linebacker Tyrel Dodson's first football camp a reminder of how far he's come". The Buffalo News. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  2. ^ Tarpley, Jeff (June 28, 2019). "Former A&M LB Dodson officially signs rookie deal with Bills". Gigem247. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  3. ^ "Tyrel Dodson Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  4. ^ "2019 NFL Draft Scout Tyrel Dodson College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  5. ^ Louis-Jacques, Marcel (September 12, 2019). "Bills rookie LB Dodson suspended 6 games". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  6. ^ Wojton, Nick (November 6, 2019). "Bills add LB Tyrel Dodson, Brandon Hitner to practice squad". Bills Wire. USA Today. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  7. ^ "Bills linebacker injuries don't appear to be long term, Sean McDermott says". The Buffalo News. September 14, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  8. ^ Parrino, Matt (September 14, 2020). "Bills' Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano 'day-to-day' after suffering injuries vs. Jets". syracuse. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  9. ^ "Bills' Tyrel Dodson: Set to start Week 2". CBSSports.com. September 18, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  10. ^ "Bills place four players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list; four players elevated from practice squad". BuffaloBills.com. October 24, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  11. ^ "Bills activate Tyrel Dodson". BuffaloBills.com. December 12, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  12. ^ "Tyrel Dodson 2021 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  13. ^ Glab, Maddy (February 10, 2022). "Bills linebacker and special teamer Tyrel Dodson signs a one-year contract". Buffalo Bills. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  14. ^ "Tyrel Dodson 2022 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  15. ^ Glab, Maddy (March 14, 2023). "LB Tyrel Dodson re-signs with Bills on one-year deal". BuffaloBills.com. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  16. ^ Alfano, Jonathan (August 18, 2023). "Bills Middle LB 'An Area of Concern' - McDermott". Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills News, Analysis and More. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  17. ^ Bronstein, Jonah (September 6, 2023). "MLB Bernard, CB Benford to start for Bills in opener". News 4 Buffalo. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  18. ^ Wojton, Nick (February 14, 2024). "PFF: Bills' most-improved player in 2023 was Tyrel Dodson". Bills Wire. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  19. ^ Smith, Corbin K. (March 14, 2024). "Seahawks Sign Former Bills LB Tyrel Dodson". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  20. ^ Boyle, John (July 18, 2024). "Seahawks Place Seven On Physically Unable To Perform List Ahead Of 2024 Training Camp". Seahawks.com. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
  21. ^ Smith, Corbin K. (July 23, 2024). "Seattle Seahawks Activate Jerome Baker, Tyrel Dodson From PUP List". SI.com. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  22. ^ Henderson, Brady. "Seahawks waive leading tackler Tyrel Dodson in ILB shake-up". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  23. ^ Young, Ryan. "Dolphins claim ex-Seahawks LB Tyrel Dodson after surprising release in Seattle". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
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