Dolphins rebuffed trade calls for Ethan Bonner, says GM Chris Grier

Earlier this year, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle said that second-year cornerback Ethan Bonner made “the craziest jump” from his rookie season. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“He’s a smart player, very competitive, and we’ve had a number of teams try to trade for him in the offseason and even last year,” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said of Bonner on Wednesday. “Very excited for his opportunity and he’s taken advantage of it every time he’s had [one].”

Bonner, 24, joined the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL draft and spent the majority of his rookie season on the practice squad before making a few appearances late in the year.

After standing out throughout training camp, Bonner now looks poised to be the Dolphins’ No. 3 outside cornerback after the starting duo of Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller, especially with Cam Smith starting the year on injured reserve.

Given the amount of resources the Dolphins have spent at cornerback — acquiring Ramsey in a trade, signing Fuller as a free agent, and drafting Smith in the second round — it makes sense that other teams would give Miami a call about Bonner. It makes even more sense that the Dolphins said no.