The Miami Dolphins announced today that they have signed inside linebacker Stephen Dix Jr. and waived/injured guard James Ester.
Dix Jr. entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent on May 14, 2026, with Arizona, where he spent part of the offseason program. Collegiately, he appeared in 59 career games with 32 starts in five seasons with Arkansas (2024-25), Marshall (2023) and Florida State (2020-21), recording 277 tackles (106 solo), 5.0 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, three passes defensed and two fumble recoveries.
Ester joined the Dolphins via waivers on May 14, 2026, and spent part of the offseason program and training camp with the team. He entered the NFL in 2024 as an undrafted college free agent with Green Bay, where he spent two seasons (2024-25) on the practice squad. Ester played collegiately at Northern Illinois (2019-23), where he played defensive tackle, appearing in 49 career games with 43 starts and recording 121 tackles (50 solo), 9.0 sacks, 20.0 tackles for loss, one interception, seven passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
| Name | Pos. | Hgt. | Wgt. | Age | Exp. | College | Hometown | Acq. |
| Stephen Dix Jr. | ILB | 6-1 | 246 | 24 | R | Arkansas ‘26 | Orlando, Fla. | FA, ‘26 |
