Dolphins re-sign three players
The Miami Dolphins announced today that they have re-signed defensive lineman Matthew Butler, inside linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and kicker Riley Patterson.
Butler has appeared in 27 career games with two starts in four seasons with Las Vegas (2022-24) and Miami (2025), recording 27 tackles (12 solo), and a 0.5 sack. He appeared in 12 games with one start last season with the Dolphins and totaled 12 tackles (seven solo). Butler entered the NFL as a fifth-round selection (175th overall) by Las Vegas in the 2022 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at Tennessee (2017-21), where he appeared in 53 games with 26 starts and recorded 152 tackles (69 solo), 9.5 sacks, three passes defensed and two forced fumbles.
Gay Jr. has appeared in 89 career games with 57 starts in six seasons with Kansas City (2020-23), New Orleans (2024) and Miami (2025), recording 271 tackles (172 solo), 9.0 sacks, four interceptions with one returned for a touchdown, 24 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries. He has also started in nine postseason games and won two Super Bowls (LVII and LVIII) with Kansas City. Gay Jr. played in all 17 games with two starts with Miami in 2025, totaling 18 tackles (eight solo), 2.0 sacks and two passes defensed, in addition to two special teams stops. He entered the league as a second-round selection (63rd overall) by Kansas City in the 2020 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at Mississippi State (2017-19), where he appeared in 31 games with six starts and recorded 99 tackles (46 solo), 6.0 sacks, three interceptions, seven passes defensed, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
Patterson has appeared in 61 career games in five seasons with Detroit (2021, 2023), Jacksonville (2022), Cleveland (2023-24), the New York Jets (2024), Atlanta (2024) and Miami (2025). He has converted 90-of-103 career field goal attempts (87.4 pct.), along with 143-of-148 extra points (96.6 pct.). Patterson has also appeared in three postseason contests with Jacksonville in 2022 and Cleveland in 2023. He converted 27-of-29 field goal attempts (93.1 pct.) last season with Miami, setting a new franchise single-season record for field goal percentage, in addition to making 34 of his 35 extra points (97.1 pct.). Patterson entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with Minnesota in 2021. He played collegiately at Memphis (2017-20), where he appeared in 52 career games, converting 64-of-83 field goal attempts (77.1 pct.) in four seasons with the Tigers.
