The Miami Dolphins sign former 2018 6th-round draft pick Cornell Armstrong to a one-year deal after Artie Burns’ season-ending injury.
The Miami Dolphins‘ cornerback room has remained one of the team’s biggest question marks heading into the offseason, and that was before Jalen Ramsey revealed his desire to be traded.
Ramsey would eventually be shipped to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which landed Miami one of the top safeties in the NFL in Minkah Fitzpatrick. However, the need for a cornerback only grew stronger.
Then, during the first minicamp practice of the season, veteran cornerback Artie Burns got tangled up with UDFA B.J. Adams and suffered what appeared to be a season-ending injury. ( This was confirmed earlier today by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. )
So, of course, with so many young players in the secondary and a need for someone on the perimeter not named “Kader Kohou”, the Dolphins would turn their attention to one of the top free agents on the market, like Rasul Douglas or Asante Samuel Jr., right?
WRONG.
Sure, Samuel or Douglas may still sign with the team in the coming weeks, but for now, the Dolphins have decided to go with a familiar face. According to his agent, Brett Tessler, Miami has agreed to a one-year deal with former Southern Mississippi cornerback Cornell Armstrong.
The Miami Dolphins are signing my client Cornell Armstrong (CB, Southern Miss) to a one year deal. 8-year vet is returning to the team that drafted him in 2018.
— Brett Tessler (@TesslerSports) July 24, 2025
Armstrong, 29, was initially drafted by the Dolphins in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft (209th overall). He played primarily special teams for Miami as a rookie before bouncing around the league. During his six seasons in the NFL, Armstrong played for the Miami Dolphins (2018), Houston Texans (2019-2020), Atlanta Falcons (2021-2022), and the Las Vegas Raiders (2023).
Despite sitting out the 2024 season and only having a handful of starts under his belt, Miami felt it was best to bring in a 29-year-old veteran with special-teams experience over one of the aforementioned players, at least for now. Armstrong will fill the void left behind by Burns and compete for a roster spot, with the most likely scenario being a role on special teams.
As for Douglas and Samuel Jr., they might want to keep an eye on their phone in the coming days. Because if the Dolphins want to be competitive this season, they’ll need to bring in a bit more than Cornell Armstrong, which was something the team realized, even before Ramsey was traded.
That is, unless younger guys like Cam Smith, Ethan Bonner, Storm Duck, Kendall Sheffield, and the rest of Miami’s unknowns are ready to step up. But that’s a question that will need to be answered another day.
What are your thoughts on the Miami Dolphins signing Cornell Armstrong to replace(?) Artie Burns after his season-ending injury? Do you believe the team will bring in Rasul Douglas or Asante Samuel Jr.? Or is it what you see is what you get with this unit? Let us know in the comments section below!