MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Jason Pierre-Paul’s homecoming tour began in earnest Wednesday when he practiced with his hometown Miami Dolphins for the first time.
Pierre-Paul, who turns 35 on New Year’s Day, had a throwback look on his new team, going back to jersey No. 90, which he wore during the best years of his 14-year NFL career.
Practicing for the first time as a Miami Dolphin: Jason-Pierre Paul pic.twitter.com/41gci5MGtH
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) November 29, 2023
But simply putting on a familiar number alone won’t turn back the clock. JPP was a diminished player in 2022, finishing with three sacks, five tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, and three pressures in 14 games with the Ravens
Fortunately for the Dolphins, they don’t need him to be an All-Pro in 2023.
They simply need him to provide 5-10 quality snaps per game on a defense that, even with Jaelan Phillips’ season-ending injury, has plenty of pass rush.
Jason Pierre-Paul Miami Dolphins Outlook
Pierre-Paul, whose 94.5 career sacks rank seventh among active players, made his 2023 debut for the New Orleans Saints last week.
MORE: Miami Dolphins Depth Chart
He showed enough in his 17 defensive snaps to convince the Dolphins that he could help — and when the Saints reverted Pierre-Paul back to their practice squad, he was available.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has long been a fan of Pierre-Paul from afar — dating all the way back to 2011, when McDaniel was an offensive assistant for the Washington team now known as the Commanders, and Pierre-Paul was a second-year pro for the New York Giants putting up a 16.5-sack season.
“I’m pumped for the team to add a player of his experience and his esteem,” McDaniel said.
“He’s a force on the edge. I’m just pumped for him to get in the mix with the entire team. This is a team that’s been working diligently together for a long time.
“He’ll be getting up to speed, studying all day, and trying to get comfortable in what we’re asking him to do. It will be exciting. Just pumped to have the depth that we have on this team, and adding a player like him is just more of that.”
At 6-5, 270 pounds, Pierre-Paul is another big-bodied defensive end in the mold of Emmanuel Ogbah. It’ll be interesting to see if Vic Fangio will have JPP stand up or play with a hand in his dirt since he largely asks his EDGE players to do the latter.
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