Veteran pass rusher Bradley Chubb will be back soon — just not yet.
That was the message from Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel prior to the Dolphins’ first practice ahead of their Week 10 game against the Los Angeles Rams.
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Chubb has been on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list all season after mangling his knee on New Year’s Eve last winter.
McDaniel hinted Monday that Chubb — who needed reconstructive surgery — was close to a return, and that remains the case. Just not yet.
Guard Isaiah Wynn and linebacker Cameron Goode likewise are not ready to practice. They have also been on PUP all year.
Without Chubb and Jaelan Phillips, who tore his ACL in Week 4 after rupturing his Achilles last November, the Dolphins’ pass rush has been severely limited.
Miami has recorded the second-fewest sacks (10) in all of football this season. Not having defensive tackle Zach Sieler, who could play after injuring his eye last month, the last two weeks hasn’t helped.
Sieler practiced Thursday and the team is hopeful he will play Monday in L.A.
The same is true for Kader Kohou, who returns to practice after missing time with a knee injury.
The outlook isn’t as clear regarding Jevon Holland, however. Holland has missed time with a knee injury and will not practice Thursday, per McDaniel.
But other good news involving Dolphins DBs is that rookie Patrick McMorris will have his practice window opened this week after spending the last nine weeks on injured reserve.
While McMorris, Sieler, and Kohou practiced Thursday, four notable Dolphins players did not, according to reporters present: Tackles Terron Armstead (knee/rest) and Austin Jackson (knee), defensive tackle Calais Campbell (rest), and safety Jordan Poyer (rest).
The Dolphins will practice this week with just two quarterbacks — Tua Tagovailoa and Skylar Thompson — after the Jaguars on Wednesday poached C.J. Beathard from their practice squad.
McDaniel did hint that the Dolphins could soon have back QB Tyler “Snoop” Huntley, who must sit out at least two more weeks on IR with a shoulder injury.
Finally, McDaniel suggested during his Thursday discussion that while the Dolphins didn’t make a trade deadline move, it wasn’t because of a lack of effort.
McDaniel said the Dolphins had “a couple of conversations … inward and outward” at the trade deadline. Ultimately, “I think we believe in the roster and want to see come through a tough time. I think that’s what was executed.”