The Miami Dolphins’ offensive line is falling apart. A week after losing one left guard Isaiah Wynn for weeks if not the entire season, right guard Robert Hunt — perhaps the Dolphins’ best lineman — left the team’s game against the New England Patriots in the first quarter Sunday.
Hunt was injured while blocking downfield on a 13-yard catch-and-run by Jaylen Waddle during the team’s second touchdown drive of the game.
After staying down on the field for a bit, he got up and walked off under his own power. Doctors got a closer look in the sideline medical tent, and then ultimately decided to send Hunt to the locker room for further evaluation.
Robert Hunt Injury Update
His official injury diagnosis was questionable to return with a hamstring injury. But Hunt never returned Sunday.
The development was a brutal break for a Dolphins offensive line, which started backups at left tackle (Kendall Lamm), left guard (Lester Cotton), and center (Liam Eichenberg).
After Hunt left the game, Cotton slid over to right guard, and Rob Jones took over at left guard.
The Dolphins chose that combination even though Connor Williams was active after missing three of the Dolphins’ last four games with a groin injury.
The fact that Mike McDaniel did not put Williams into the game even after Hunt went down was telling — and a bit puzzling that they made him active at all.
The Dolphins have one more game after Sunday before the bye — next Sunday in Germany against the Kansas City Chiefs.
UPDATED (2:20 p.m.): The news went from bad to borderline catastrophic late in the first half when Kendall Lamm left the game with an abdomen injury. That left the Dolphins with their third-string left tackle, Kion Smith.
The only preseason starting offensive lineman left? Right tackle Austin Jackson.
Fortunately for the Dolphins, Lamm was able to return in the second half. Hunt, however, did not.
Postgame Reaction From Mike McDaniel
After the game, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel explained why Williams didn’t play despite the multiplying issues.
His response?
“It was a protective measure. He was able to play. We were worried about the ramifications if he did play over the course of a four-quarter game. We had him there in case a catastrophe happened and we were close to that, or if we had to shuffle.
“There was a couple variables where we might have to shuffle Liam out of the center position if certain people got hurt, so we had a plan of that. Hat goes off to Butch Barry and Frank Smith and the whole group because nobody panicked.
“We were prepared for the moment. That’s what I’ve been saying from preseason on is we were very fortunate to have really good players and some depth at the position. I have a lot of faith in those guys. They’ll only get better with more reps.
“It’s very hard to come into a game in the National Football League off the bench, particularly it’s like a quarterback where you go 0 to 60, but we have the right people to do it, and I’ll look forward to seeing whatever offensive linemen we have this next week and coming up with a game plan and watching them execute it.”