Seth Vernon

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

**Seth Vernon's $967,500 AAV punter contract earns a B- CVI that reflects solid value for what amounts to developmental depth at a specialist position.** The 27-year-old second-year player has minimal NFL production with just one tackle across two games, but his UFL experience provides the kind of professional seasoning that makes him a reasonable practice squad investment rather than complete roster filler. At under $1M annually, Miami isn't breaking the bank for punter depth—a sensible approach given Vernon's developmental status and the transactional nature of special teams roster building. His age puts him in that sweet spot where he's not a raw rookie but still has upside potential, though the media framing makes clear this is routine housekeeping rather than meaningful competition for the starting job. **The Dolphins' recent signing spree including Bradley Pinion at punter suggests Vernon is exactly what the narrative indicates: camp competition who'll likely land on the practice squad unless something unexpected happens with Miami's special teams situation.**

Performance Analysis

Seth Vernon is a replacement-level punter at this stage of his career, a second-year player whose D+ performance grade reflects how little he has established himself at the NFL level. The data here is thin by design — one tackle across two games is essentially a footnote, the kind of stat line that tells you a punter was on the field in coverage situations rather than making any real impact with his leg. The absence of any meaningful punting volume in the available data is itself the central weakness: Vernon has not logged the kind of workload that would allow a legitimate evaluation of his core skill set. His path to Miami runs directly through the UFL, where his time with the Michigan Panthers represents professional development without the scrutiny of an NFL regular-season stage, and the media framing around his signing — grouped alongside long snapper Tucker Addington as a low-risk depth move — signals exactly how the organization views him entering 2026. With Miami having also signed Bradley Pinion this offseason, Vernon's ceiling at this point is competing for a backup role, not a guaranteed roster spot. With the regular season still 132 days out, he has time to make a case in training camp, but nothing in the current data suggests he's positioned as anything more than roster competition.

Fan Sentiment

A low-risk camp body signing as Miami adds UFL punter depth heading into 2026. Multiple outlets covered it, with the UFL-to-NFL pipeline angle driving the modest headline interest. Vernon's UFL experience with the Michigan Panthers is the strongest signal — developmental talent, not proven NFL commodity. Fans are largely indifferent, debating whether he can challenge for a roster spot over an established incumbent. Vernon likely competes for the practice squad or depth role, with long odds of cracking the 53-man roster.