Miami Dolphins training camp opens next week, which means over the coming days, the roughly 90 players on the roster must pass a physical to be cleared to practice.
Those that cannot will go on either the physically unable to perform (PUP) or non-football injury lists. They began that process Thursday by placing cornerback Nik Needham (Achilles) on the active PUP, meaning he can be activated and practice at any point in training camp.
Who else might miss field time this summer? We explore in our Dolphins training camp injury roundup.
Miami Dolphins Injury Update
Tua Tagovailoa, Quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa put considerable time and effort into injury prevention this offseason after missing five games, including Miami’s Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills, with a series of concussions.
Will that jiu-jitsu, helmet change, and strength training pay off?
We’ll find out over the next six months, but Tua enters camp healthy and ready to win at the highest level. Tagovailoa told the Palm Beach Post this week that the Dolphins are “definitely legit contenders” this year.
“I think [the offense] can get very, very scary, pretty dangerous.”
Tackling Their Rehab
Terron Armstead and Austin Jackson were supposed to be the Dolphins’ offensive line’s bookends in 2022. They ended up playing roughly 50 snaps together the entire season.
Jackson missed all but two games with ankle injuries. Armstead, meanwhile, must have felt like the title character from the game board Operation. His final injury report reflected he was receiving medical treatment late in the season on his toe, pec, knee, and hip.
“A lot of it came from the foot injury Week 1,” Armstead said in January, the last time he was made available to reporters. “The body being such a machine and too smart at times, you get into compensation with muscles starting to shut down and start to affect other things. So like, I’ve been dealing with my right leg, really. So just trying to get everything to a point of strength and function, and then if I can push and I can drive, I’m going.”
The Dolphins wisely took it easy with Armstead in the spring, but unless either has had an unreported setback, both should be ready for Day 1 of camp.
Secondary Concerns
Three of Miami’s best defensive backs from 2022 are coming off major injuries: Needham, Brandon Jones (ACL), and Trill Williams (ACL).
The recovery time for those reconstructive surgeries run at least months, so it’s no surprise that none of those players were participants in minicamp.
Williams, who got hurt in training camp last year, has the best chance to avoid PUP, while Jones (who got hurt in late October) could need another month or two to get ready.
One last note on Needham: Considering the Dolphins’ impressive depth at that position, Miami might stash him on the PUP list into the season as an insurance policy.