Miami Dolphins Claim CB Jai’Onte’ McMillan Off Waivers From Colts
The Miami Dolphins continue to make changes to their secondary as the preseason winds down, claiming rookie cornerback Jai’Onte’ McMillan off waivers from the Indianapolis Colts.
Miami officially announced the transaction Saturday, one day after Indianapolis waived McMillan. The move gives the Dolphins another young defensive back to evaluate as the team approaches its final roster decisions.
McMillan, 24, stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 190 pounds. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent when the Colts signed him on June 1 and spent part of Indianapolis’ offseason program and training camp with the team before being waived Friday.
McMillan’s College Career
Before reaching the NFL, McMillan played at both TCU and Minnesota.
He spent three seasons at TCU before transferring to Minnesota, where he played during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Overall, McMillan appeared in 54 collegiate games with four starts, finishing his college career with 56 tackles, 42 of them solo, one sack, one interception and five passes defensed.
During his final season at Minnesota in 2025, McMillan appeared in 11 games and recorded 22 tackles and one pass breakup.
McMillan’s extensive special teams and defensive experience at the college level gives Miami another developmental option in a cornerback room that has undergone several changes throughout training camp.
Dolphins Continue Shuffling Cornerback Room
The timing of the waiver claim is noteworthy.
Earlier Saturday, the Dolphins announced that they had released veteran cornerback Nick McCloud, who had only joined Miami on August 10.
McMillan now arrives as another young player who will get an opportunity to make an impression on Miami’s coaching staff before the roster is trimmed.
The Dolphins have been active in adding cornerbacks throughout August. Miami previously claimed rookie Ahmari Harvey off waivers from the Pittsburgh Steelers on August 7.
With injuries and roster movement creating uncertainty at the position, Miami has clearly been willing to turn over the bottom of the cornerback depth chart in search of players who could provide depth and special-teams value.
What McMillan’s Addition Means for Miami
At this stage of the preseason, McMillan shouldn’t be viewed as someone being brought in with an expectation of immediately earning a significant defensive role.
Instead, the Dolphins are taking a low-risk look at a young cornerback who has experience playing for two major college programs and spent the summer in an NFL training camp.
The final days before roster cuts are often about finding players who may have slipped through another team’s roster. Even if McMillan doesn’t ultimately earn a spot on Miami’s initial 53-man roster, he could potentially put himself in consideration for a practice-squad role.
For McMillan, the waiver claim provides another opportunity to continue his NFL career without having to wait long after his departure from Indianapolis.
For the Dolphins, it’s another chance to add competition to a position where depth remains important.
With final roster decisions approaching quickly, McMillan won’t have much time to make his case. But Miami saw enough in the rookie cornerback to use a waiver claim on him, and he’ll now get an opportunity to show the Dolphins’ coaching staff that he deserves to stick around.