MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins’ offensive line not only survived the trip to L.A. without Terron Armstead; the group thrived, allowing no sacks and just two quarterback hits against the Chargers.
But there’s no doubt that the Dolphins are better in the trenches with Armstead on the field than without him, so the news Wednesday that he was able to practice for the first time in four weeks was a huge plus.
UPDATE (4:22 p.m.): RB Raheem Mostert did not practice Wednesday due to a knee injury, according to the team’s injury report.
Miami Dolphins Practice Report: Will Terron Armstead Play vs. Patriots?
Armstead was in the red non-contact jersey during the portion of practice open to reporters Sunday and had a compression sleeve on his injured lower right leg. He hurt that leg during an Aug. 17 practice against the Texans.
That injury kept him out of the opener. Kendall Lamm started in his absence and presumably would again Sunday against the New England Patriots if Armstead is unavailable to go.
Terron Armstead is indeed at Dolphins practice today, donning the red non-contact jersey.
His first practice in any capacity since August 17 pic.twitter.com/6OMjsTW3Mk
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) September 13, 2023
“When players always wanna play, and then we obviously want him to play,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel explained.
“But you know, there’s some, I don’t know, gut feeling that he might have to resort to a style of play just to get through, I don’t think that’s fair to him or his teammates. If there was a scenario that it was the only human being possible, you know, you maybe consider that, but probably not.
“The biggest thing is that you have to have depth in your football team. For him and the Dolphins, you just don’t want him gut through it for a cause. … It’s part of our personal relationship, and he respects those types of decisions.”
One other notable improvement to the Dolphins’ collective health: Elijah Campbell, who missed the opener with a knee injury, was back at practice Wednesday.
Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots Injury Report
Dolphins
Did Not Practice
- RB Raheem Mostert (knee)
Limited
- OT Terron Armstead (back/ankle/knee)
- DB Elijah Campbell (knee)
- TE Julian Hill (ankle)
- WR Jaylen Waddle (oblique)
Full
- RB De’Von Achane (shoulder)
- CB Xavien Howard (thumb)
- S Brandon Jones (knee)
- OL Connor Williams (knee)
Patriots
Did Not Practice
- OT Trent Brown (concussion)
- OL Sidy Sow (concussion)
Limited
- C David Andrews (hamstring)
- WR Kayshon Boutte (hamstring)
- OL Mike Onwenu (ankle)
- WR DeVante Parker (knee)
- G Cole Strange (knee)
Perspective on De’Von Achane, David Long Usage
Two of the biggest surprises of the Dolphins’ Week 1 game plan were making rookie running back De’Von Achane a healthy scratch and using linebacker David Long on just 17 defensive snaps.
McDaniel addressed both on Wednesday.
“The game-day actives are real, and there’s only a finite [amount], and when you have, you know, areas of your team that necessitate certain things, you kind of have to go light on positions. So that’s why De’Von was inactive.
“Really, it’s kind of what I was getting in front of last week, about Week 1 and how interesting it is because it feels like Groundhogs Week, and I get why,” McDaniel added, presumably about Long.
MORE: Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel Explains His Big Week 1 Gamble
“It’s because there’s all these thoughts and opinions and people care, and then something happens, and then you have a whole week to sit on it. Well, Week 1 in the first year of a system, I mean, how often does everything never change during the course of the season?
“Especially with new players on this team and a new system, that is really the formula for that game. But that’s a far stretch to say that it’s going to be that way the next game, you know, that’s, these are things that there’s only 11 on the field.
“We have some depth, and, you know, every game presents different challenges, and you have different tools in your toolbox, so he’ll keep working. And his teammates love him. You know, I’m not expecting that to be the norm.”