When the Miami Dolphins announced captains earlier this week, four players on the team’s defense — Calais Campbell, David Long Jr., Jalen Ramsey, and Zach Sieler — received the honor. The most notable omission was fourth-year safety Jevon Holland.
While he’s still just 24, Holland has emerged as a leader early in his NFL career and was a Dolphins captain in each of the last two seasons. On Thursday, Holland said he’s taking the team’s decision in stride.
“There wasn’t really much of a conversation, honestly,” Holland told Kay Adams in an appearance on Up & Adams. “It’s just the team voted. I didn’t practice all of camp, I was dealing with a bang and bruise and what not. It just is what it is. I wasn’t around practice enough to establish myself as one of those guys, which is fine.
“If I don’t got the ‘C’ on my chest, I don’t got the ‘C’ on my chest, but that doesn’t mean I’m not a leader. That doesn’t mean I’m not still the individual I was in previous years. So I’m just going to keep on doing what I’m doing.”
Make no mistake, Jevon Holland is a leader on the #Dolphins. With or without the 'C' badge 👏🗣️@heykayadams @MiamiDolphins #GoFins #FinsUp pic.twitter.com/YZaT9DGtby
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) September 5, 2024
Earlier in the offseason, Dolphins offensive tackle Terron Armstead singled out Holland for his leadership.
“He’s a special young man,” Armstead told Adams in July. “He’s wise beyond his years. He’s a leader. … He wears a lot of responsibilities that people on the sideline have no idea that he’s in control of, but he is.”
But part of the reason Holland is no longer wearing a ‘C’ on his chest is the influx of veteran leadership on the defensive side of the ball. In the 2024 offseason alone, the Dolphins added Calais Campbell, Jordan Poyer, Kendall Fuller, Jordyn Brooks, and Marcus Maye, among others.
“Of course, I had a feeling,” Holland said. “We bring in all this veteran leadership — we got Pro Bowlers, All-Pros, Super Bowl champions. Obviously they know something and they’re going to be put in a position to lead individuals who haven’t been to those positions.”
Holland is due to become a free agent in 2025 as he’s set to play the 2024 season on the final year of his rookie contract.
