By activating cornerback Jalen Ramsey off injured reserve Saturday, the Miami Dolphins did more than confirm that Ramsey will make his Dolphins debut Sunday against the New England Patriots.
They telegraphed a plan that included heavy usage for the six-time Pro Bowler — just three months removed from major knee surgery.
Miami Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey Injury Update
On Saturday, the Dolphins made the expected official by elevating Ramsey to their active roster. To make room for him, they cut corner Parry Nickerson, who would be a prime candidate to revert to the practice squad if he clears waivers.
It was a move most team observers expected based on Ramsey’s encouraging form in practice the last two weeks — and based on Ramsey’s social media post earlier in the day.
“Everybody ain’t him, I’m the one & only” @Wale pic.twitter.com/vIEyJeTHRp
— Jalen Ramsey (@jalenramsey) October 28, 2023
Ramsey’s return will boost a secondary that will be without safety Jevon Holland, who suffered a concussion in Week 7. Holland practiced Thursday and Friday but was downgraded from questionable to out Saturday, a sign he had not cleared the NFL’s head injury protocol.
Brandon Jones and DeShon Elliott are expected to be the team’s starting safeties Sunday against New England.
Ramsey and Xavien Howard, meanwhile, will likely be the team’s top two cornerbacks — a pairing that has the potential to be among the best in the league if both are healthy. Howard is questionable with a groin injury but has a good chance to play.
on Day 2 of training camp, Ramsey significantly damaged his meniscus, an injury many thought could cost him the entire season.
Instead, he’s back before the midway point.
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And the Dolphins are expected to throw him right into the deep end this week — if the comments from the coaching staff this week were reflective of the team’s true plans. Mike McDaniel told reporters on Friday that Ramsey would be an all-or-nothing situation when the team decided whether to activate him this week.
“He’s only interested in one version of Jalen Ramsey, and that’s Jalen Ramsey, and we know him to be that because he’s not going to shortchange the team and go play a game where he knew going into it that, ‘Oh man, I might have to come out in the second quarter, or that I’m just going to be a non-convicted version of myself,’” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Friday.
“Well, that takes away what he does for his teammates when he’s going. When he’s going, everybody can feel — by how he plays — residual energy, so he’s not going to settle. He’s not a settler.”
When asked about the impact pairing Ramsey and Howard would have on the Dolphins defense, DC Vic Fangio said Thursday:
“Your corner’s abilities govern the defense. If you feel confident in them that they can play good outside the numbers on the routes you get out there, it has an effect on what you do defensively. There is no way around that.”