Braxton Berrios and Alix Earle spotted courtside at Lakers-Hawks game days after WR inks $3,000,000 deal with Dolphins
Braxton Berrios is having a good first quarter of 2024 so far. Back on Saturday, he re-signed with the Miami Dolphins for another year and $3 million, ensuring his future in an aqua and orange jersey.
His grlfriend, TikTok star Alix Earle, even made a video detailing that tense moment. And as a celebratory gift, they flew to Los Angeles to watch the NBA's LA Lakers play the Atlanta Hawks, as seen in this post on the team's official X.com account:
Earle even shared an image of her and Berrios' courtside view in an Instagram Story:
How significant is Braxton Berrios' return to Dolphins?
Keeping Braxton Berrios is a major deal for the Miami Dolphins, who are looking to end a long title drought that stretches back to the 20th century. They get to keep an All-Pro-caliber returner who impressed with 18 kick returns for 441 yards and 23 punt returns for 235 in the 2023-24 season and was also decent in slot receiver duty, amassing 238 receiving yards and a touchdown on 27 catches.
But he is hardly the biggest offensive signing that general manager Chris Grier has made in free agency. Instead, that distinction arguably goes to Jonnu Smith.
Tight end has been a weakness for the team since the 2022 arrivals of Tyreek Hill and Mike MacDonald. For instance, Mike Gesicki, who had been developing into a credible receiving option under Brian Flores, saw a massive statistical downgrade in 2022-23 and departed for Foxboro thereafter.
His successor, Durham Smythe, has been used more as a blocker than a receiver. However, with many of the Dolphins' rivals, including the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, boasting least one prolific pass-catcher at the position, they could not afford to get left behind.
Smith, who initially established himself at the Tennessee Titans, could be the solution to that problem. He is coming off posting career-highs in receptions and receiving yards at the Atlanta Falcons, all despite mainly backing up Kyle Pitts.
Defense, however, has been the biggest beneficiary of free agency. After losing the likes of Christian Wilks, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Xavien Howard, Grier has mostly rebounded, snagging a pair of former All-Pros and Pro Bowlers in two-time Super Bowl champion linebacker Shaquil Barrett and former Buffalo Bills stalwart Jordan Poyer, among others.