By admin 
Long before Jacob Rodriguez wore aqua and orange, he wore Vikings purple in his imagination. Growing up in Hastings, Minnesota, he followed Adrian Peterson, Chad Greenway, Jared Allen and Brett Favre. On Sunday, with roughly 40 relatives and friends watching from the stands at U.S. Bank Stadium, the Miami Dolphins rookie found himself back home – not cheering for Minnesota, but chasing it.
Read more 49ers Have Formula to Keep Brock Purdy Clean and Offense Rolling
Rodriguez seemed to be everywhere in Miami’s 15-10 loss. He finished with 18 tackles, a Dolphins rookie record that surpassed the 16 Zach Thomas made against Arizona in 1996. The performance came with Rodriguez calling the defense as Miami held the unbeaten Vikings without a touchdown.
Yet when it was over, Rodriguez did not treat the afternoon like a homecoming celebration. Miami was 0-4, and the record mattered more to him than his own. “Not big into moral victories,” he said. Asked whether it felt as if he had made 18 tackles, he answered, “No.” Then, after a pause, he added, “Body does.”
Rodriguez Gridiron History
The day carried a weight no stat sheet could measure. Rodriguez’s late grandfather, Don Kulla, died in April 2025 and never saw him play in the NFL. Kulla was a devoted Vikings fan, and Rodriguez spent the week thinking about the man who had dreamed of seeing him reach football’s highest level.
“My grandpa, that was like his dream to see me in the NFL,” Rodriguez said. “He was a huge Vikings fan. I’ve been thinking about him this whole week.”
That memory accompanied Rodriguez through a bruising defensive afternoon. Zach Sieler had two sacks, Chop Robinson added another, and Miami finished with four. The Dolphins forced Minnesota to settle for five field goals, giving an offense that produced only eight first downs every chance to steal the game.
Read more Takeaways From Detroit Lions 32-26 Loss Against Carolina Panthers
Instead, quarterback Malik Willis threw for 85 yards, while Ollie Gordon II’s 100-yard rushing day could not generate enough points. Willis called Minnesota’s defense “a great scheme” and said it was difficult to watch Miami’s defense battle while the offense repeatedly “shoot ourselves in the foot.” Coach Jeff Hafley described the game as “a heavyweight defensive fight,” but he was in no mood to celebrate effort. “Guys, I’m not happy,” Hafley said. “I want to win the game.”
Inside the Dolphins’ locker room, however, Rodriguez’s emergence is becoming impossible to miss. Safety Dante Trader calls him “a dawg.” Sieler says, “He flies around.” Linebacker Jordyn Brooks points to his “crazy athleticism.”
Linebackers coach Al Washington sees something beyond speed and tackling. Rodriguez, he said, holds himself and others accountable, earning the right to lead through his work. Washington also sees an “old soul” beneath the rookie’s signature mustache.
On Sunday, that old soul looked very much at home. Rodriguez returned to Minnesota, carried his grandfather’s memory and made Dolphins history in the building he once dreamed of entering as a fan. He left sore, disappointed and unwilling to call defeat a victory of any kind. But in a season searching for something solid, Miami may have found a young defender capable of carrying far more than a tackle total.
Read more Chase Briscoe fends off Kyle Larson for victory in Vegas
Copyright 2026 Athlon Sports. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published October 4, 2026 at 8:28 PM.