The Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos both tied down a key piece of their defensive line over the weekend. At, by some coincidence, both share the same name.

After what seemed a prolonged wait, in which ‘Fins fans were howling for the deal to be done, Miami finally signed defensive tackle Zach Sieler to a contract that extends through the 2029 season.

An eight-year veteran, 2024 team captain and the reigning Dan Marino Team MVP, Sieler joined the Dolphins off waivers from Baltimore, where he had been a 2018 seventh-round pick out of tiny Ferris State. Since then, he has appeared in 85 games with 65 starts, totalling 306 tackles (167 solo), 30 sacks, two interceptions — with one returned for a touchdown — 15 passes defensed, five forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries.

In 2024, Sieler led Miami’s defense with 10 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, while recording 55 tackles (38 solo), one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. His 10.0 sacks were the second-most in the NFL among defensive tackles and tied his own single-season franchise record for the most sacks by a DT from 2023. He is the first Dolphin to record 10-plus sacks in consecutive seasons since Cameron Wake in 2016-17.

“Don’t be afraid to break the rules – Arnold Schwarzenegger,” Sieler quoted in an Instagram post once the deal was done, highlighting the mentality he used to reach the point of being indispensible. “Small town roots. Written off every step of the way. Determined or stubborn — doesn’t matter. Never lose sight of your dreams. Can’t thank the Dolphins enough for the opportunity to be the player and man I am today. Let’s work.”

Sieler’s deal is being reported as three years for $67.75m, including $44 million in guaranteed money. It makes him the highest-paid defensive player on the Dolphins roster.

ALLEN: BEING HERE IS MY HAPPY PLACE

To succeed in the NFL, you’ve got to splash the cash when reason permits, and the Denver Broncos have made one such move in extending Zach Allen to a four-year $102m contract.

One of their cornerstone defensive pieces, re-signing Allen makes perfect sense for the Broncos, and is a move which solidifies the franchise’s ambitions for the long term.

In 2024, Allen turned into a game-wrecker and enjoyed the best season of his career. He earned second-team All-Pro honours for the first time, recording a career-high 61 total tackles, 8.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss, and featured in the annual NFL Top 100 list at 90th overall. His new contract, however, puts Allen shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the league’s best defensive linemen. Per season, Allen is due to earn $25.5m, only slightly less than New England Patriots’ Milton Williams at $26m and below the $31.75m the Kansas City Chiefs pay Chris Jones annually, but the eye-watering agreement was still hailed as ‘a blessing’ by the 27-year-old.

“A lot of work went into it — and God’s put a lot of great people in my life that have helped me get here,” he noted. “It can’t be stated enough just how blessed I am. Hopefully, it serves as an inspiration to others: no matter where you start, it’s where you finish. Just keep grinding through, taking it day by day, brick by brick.”

The Connecticut-born superstar continued by saying how much of an impact the Denver franchise has had on his life.

“Being here, this is my happy place,” he admitted. “The guys on this team are awesome — from team-mates to the staff to the front office, the way we handled everything has been awesome. We have very high goals for ourselves.”

With Allen committed long-term, the Broncos can hopefully continue to build on a promising 2024 season, which saw them clinch playoff football for the first time since their Super Bowl victory in 2015.