The Seattle Seahawks will sign former Miami Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker to a one-year, $7 million contract, Baker's agents Drew Rosenhaus and Jason Rosenhaus told ESPN on Saturday. told Adam Schefter.
The agreement came a day after Baker met with Seattle after visiting the Tennessee Titans again in free agency. His addition means the Seahawks have filled both starting inside linebacker spots after the departures of Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks. They signed former Buffalo Bills veteran Tyrell Dodson to a one-year deal earlier this week. Brooks agreed to a contract with the Dolphins, and Wagner signed with the Washington Commanders.
The Dolphins released Baker on March 5th. Because Baker was released by Miami, he does not count toward the Seahawks' compensatory designation system.
The 27-year-old Baker, who underwent wrist surgery in January and was released after failing a physical, was the team's third-round pick in 2018 and started 82 games in six NFL seasons. The starting inside linebacker was in the final year of a three-year, $37.5 million contract that began in 2021.
Last season, he played in 13 games (12 starts) and had 78 tackles, two interceptions, and 1.5 sacks. He injured his MCL in a game against the Commanders on December 3 and was placed on injured reserve in December. He returned in the final game of the regular season against the Buffalo Bills, but injured his wrist in that game, which required surgery and forced him to miss the game. Miami lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild card round.
He has recorded at least 100 tackles in three seasons and has 587 tackles in 94 career games. He also has 22.5 sacks, five interceptions, and six forced fumbles in his career.
The 26-year-old Brooks, who signed a three-year contract worth $30 million with Dolphins agent Eric Burkhardt, made a successful return to the opener last season after tearing his ACL in Week 17 of the 2022 season. he told Schefter on Monday. He played in 16 games for Seattle, but missed one game in December with an ankle injury that kept him inactive for the final six weeks of the season.
Although he grew as a playmaker, he finished with 50 fewer tackles than he did in 2022, from 161 to 111. After only being sacked a total of two times in his first three seasons, he recorded 4.5 sacks and scored a touchdown with his first career interception.
ESPN staff writers Marcel-Louis Jacques and Brady Henderson contributed to this report.
