Dolphins Discard Signs With NFC Contender

The Miami Dolphins have started this season 0-5 and have made a bevy of moves along the bottom edge of their roster to see who might stick.

One of the players they recently discarded has found a gig with a much better squad.

Keith Cooper Jr. was cut by the Dolphins two weeks ago.

On Monday, he signed with the Carolina Panthers to take a spot on their practice squad.

Cooper was part of the roster moves on the same day that De'Von Achane was placed on injured reserve. Miami also released Clelin Ferrell and Jordan Miller that day.

A couple weeks later, Cooper is the first to get a new gig.

At the time of his release, Cooper was the surprising decision of the bunch. He had played in each of the first three games for the Dolphins.

The 6-foot-5, 285-pound Cooper had just one tackle through three games. He wasn't playing a ton, but he was a part of the active roster for Miami's 0-3 start.

He's still just 23 years old and in his second season as an undrafted player after a college career spent at Tulane and Houston.

Cooper was with the Cleveland Browns for just one regular season appearance in 2025.

His age and the fact that Cooper has already gotten into a few NFL games both work in his favor. That could keep him around the fringes of the league for years to come.

Think about Cooper's fortune for a moment. Sure, he had to wait it out and hope he could get a new gig.

But instead of starting Week 6 with a team that's 0-5 and at the bottom of the AFC East, he joins a Panthers team that's 2-2 and actually atop the NFC South.

Carolina won its division last season, albeit with just an 8-9 record, and is trying to do so again. The Panthers are led by quarterback Bryce Young, who is hoping to prove he deserves a long-term contract extension.

Cooper is just signed to the practice squad, so he won't be perfectly secure in that gig for a while. The Panthers could also decide after a few weeks, like the Dolphins, to try something different.

But they seem to have sought him out specifically, and so Cooper will get to work on the practice field to make the contending Panthers better. It's one of the closer NFL locales to Miami, but in terms of on-field status, these teams are a long way away from one another.