Emmanuel Ogbah, Dolphins Agree to 4-Year, $65M Contract Ahead of NFL Free Agency

Emmanuel Ogbah is returning to the Miami Dolphins.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that Ogbah and the Dolphins agreed to a four-year, $65 million contract with $32 million guaranteed. Ogbah appeared to react to the news on social media:

The veteran pass-rusher appeared in every game for Miami in 2021, finishing with nine sacks and 41 tackles. In addition to his work pressuring the quarterback, he was a disruptive presence against the pass by deflecting 12 throws.

A second-round pick 2016, Ogbah didn't flourish until signing with the Dolphins in 2020. In two seasons with the team, he has 18 sacks, 15 tackles for loss and 45 quarterback hits.

His new deal is a testament to his improvement in South Florida. Among defensive ends, his $16.3 million annual salary will rank ninth, and his guaranteed cash will be the 13th-most, per Spotrac.

The free-agent negotiating window only opened at noon ET on Monday, so Ogbah could've taken more time to gauge his value on the open market. But it's not as if he took a hometown discount to remain in Miami.

The Dolphins fell short of expectations in 2021 by winning nine games and missing the playoffs, which resulted in the firing of head coach Brian Flores. They did, however, rank 10th in defensive efficiency and tied for fourth in adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders.

Ogbah was the team's best defensive player slated for free agency this offseason. Tying up his contract before the window opened was a nice piece of business.

Considering Miami had around $48 million in salary-cap space, re-signing Ogbah doesn't preclude general manager Chris Grier from taking more big swings to strengthen the roster.