MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Odell Beckham Jr. could theoretically make his Miami Dolphins practice debut Wednesday.
But even if he does, the timeline is incredibly tight for him to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 8.
Why? Before the Dolphins put Beckham on the field, they need to have confidence in both his health and his game.
Injury Update for Miami Dolphins WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel on Monday kept open the possibility of activating Beckham off the physically unable to perform list Tuesday, but then ruled out the idea of Beckham suiting up in Week 1 without ample practice time.
“There’s not a scenario where he’s going to just jump out there with a cape on without practicing at all,” McDaniel said. “I think for me, it’s like every other player; you make sure that they progress, and you get them back on the field as fast as their body allows them to, and then you allow the comfort level of the player to dictate when he plays.
“So are we going to play football with Tua [Tagovailoa] and Odell being uncomfortable with their connectivity in a real game? Absolutely not.”
Certainly, the Dolphins could use a sooner-than-later return to action for Beckham, whose marvelous career has been derailed by chronic knee issues.
Injuries have absolutely devastated their wide receiver depth this summer, with River Cracraft, Tahj Washington, Willie Snead IV, and Anthony Schwartz all suffering significant injuries.
If Beckham cannot play in Week 1, their top five receivers will presumably be Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios, Malik Washington, and Erik Ezukanma. That was in no way the group the Dolphins envisioned when they put together their roster months back.
But the Dolphins are playing the long game with Beckham — and the first move is getting him in sync with Tagovailoa.
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“For me, it’s very important,” Tagovailoa said. “Off the field, I’ve been able to hang out with him a good amount of times. Cool dude, 100%. But does our relationship translate on the field?
“If O isn’t on the PUP list, he clears everything, and we’re able to get out there, I mean, that’s one of the first things that I want to do. Routes on air? I want to make sure I get as many reps with him [as I can].
“… I wanna make sure that the timing is good. I wanna make sure that that’s all good”
The clock is ticking.