While the status of Miami Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker is uncertain beyond this year, the fourth-year player enthusiastically talked about spending his entire career with the team.
Baker took part in the Dolphins’ final voluntary organized team activity (OTA) and explained why he wants to stay.
“I want to play here for the rest of my career. I love it here,” Baker told reporters Friday. “I love the fans. I love the organization. I love everybody here. Yeah, I definitely see myself playing here for a long time.”
The problem for Baker is that despite his rookie contract ending after this season, the Dolphins have not yet scheduled any talks regarding an extension.
The 24-year-old Baker has been part of 238 tackles over the past two seasons for the Dolphins and last year collected a career-high seven sacks.
Yet, there’s some question as to whether or not the Dolphins will choose to give Baker a much larger contract, in part because his rushing defense needs to improve.
Dolphins head coach Brian Flores offered praise for Baker, though he offered no hint of the linebacker’s status beyond the 2021 campaign.
“Jerome has made a lot of improvements and has gotten better in really all areas,” Flores said Friday. “I think he’s tough, he’s smart, he’s competitive, he loves to play, he’s team-first. He’s really gotten better in every area – pass coverage, run defense, really across the board. He’s a very good player. We’re excited about working with him and he’s a team guy. I think that’s the thing I liked most about him is he’s a team player. He wants to win and we’re excited to have him.”
Baker was drafted during the final season of former head coach Adam Gase and endured the rough start to the 2019 season. Having gotten a taste of winning last year, Baker has emphatically stated that he wants to be around for even greater potential success in the future.
