ORLANDO — Two and a half weeks were not enough time for Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Terron Armstead to decide his future.
Armstead is still mulling retirement, even though he’s a Pro Bowler for a fifth time and he’s due $14.3 million in total compensation this year.
Armstead, speaking here Friday as part of the 2024 Pro Bowl Games, told South Florida-based reporters that he’s still mulling his options.
The Latest on Miami Dolphins OT Terron Armstead
Armstead — whose brilliant career has been stunted by a long list of injuries — wouldn’t even reveal which way he’s leaning, other than saying that he’s “getting better for sure.”
“I’ve just been resting and recovering and enjoying the family, really,” Armstead said. “I haven’t thought much football or [done] any deep thinking. Really just taking its time, rest, recovering, enjoying the family.”
It’s good that Armstead isn’t making a snap decision. There are a lot of factors at play here.
Certainly, Armstead has to want to continue to play; he suggested the day after the season that he does. But he also needs to trust that his body can hold up better than it did in 2023, when he missed seven regular season games and was on the field for less than half of the team’s offensive snaps.
The Dolphins might also want to move on — or ask him to take a pay cut.
Currently, the only offensive linemen the Dolphins have under contract in 2024 are Armstead, Austin Jackson, Liam Eichenberg, Kion Smith, Ryan Hayes, Lester Cotton, and Chasen Hines.
So they need to make a plan at left tackle sooner rather than later. Free agency is less than six weeks off, and the draft is in three months.
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Armstead said the Dolphins haven’t given him a deadline to decide whether he wants to retire, but added, “I’m not going to prolong the process at all. I’m just taking time to get away from the game and let my body heal.”
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