Injury updates after Dolphins play without top CB, lose top offensive lineman in loss to Jets
Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard, who has been dealing with an injury to his groin muscles, was inactive for the team’s 40-17 road loss to the New York Jets.
But that was just the start of the injury news for Miami on Sunday.
In addition to quarterback Teddy Bridgewater entering concussion protocols, the Dolphins also saw three other key players leave the game in left tackle Terron Armstead (toe), wide receiver Tyreek Hill (leg) and tight end Durham Smythe (hamstring).
Of note: Hill was spotted postgame wearing a walking boot on his left foot but said he was fine. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said they had to “pull Tyreek at the end” of the game because he was “stepped on pretty hard.” Hill, who caught seven passes for 47 yards on Sunday, was listed as questionable entering the game due to a quad injury.
“He’s a very quick healer,” McDaniel said. “I’m very optimistic but at this point, I don’t really know.”
As for Armstead, McDaniel said he is staying in New York to get further evaluation on his toe injury, which he has been dealing with since Week 1.
“Hopefully,” McDaniel said, “we get some good information to how to address it moving forward because I know that’s really frustrating him and he’s a tough player to lose.”
Armstead left the game on the team’s second drive and was replaced by Brandon Shell, who was elevated from the practice squad on Saturday. Shell, a fifth-round pick of the New York Jets in the 2016 Draft, was signed to the Dolphins’ practice squad last month. The 30-year-old has started 61 games in six seasons, most recently with the Seattle Seahawks.
Armstead’s injury meant the Dolphins played most of Sunday without their top offensive tackles. Eight tackle Austin Jackson was placed on injured reserve after a Week 1 ankle injury. He’s eligible to return in the team’s Week 6 home game against the Minnesota Vikings. Greg Little has started in place of Jackson in the last four games.
Howard, meanwhile, didn’t practice Wednesday and Thursday but was limited Friday and listed as questionable to play. He tested out the injury with some slight jogging about 30 minutes before pre-game inactives were announced. His absence further thinned a cornerback room still playing without Byron Jones, who remains on the reserve/physically-unable-to-perform list. Jones was eligible to return in Week 5 but McDaniel said Jones would remain on the PUP list as his recovery from offseason surgery on his lower leg was “not progressing as fast as we obviously had hoped.”
McDaniel said Howard “tried his butt off” to play through the injury.
Nik Needham and rookie Kader Kohou started at cornerback, while 2020 first-round pick Noah Igbinoghene also logged his first defensive snaps of the season. Keion Crossen, who was also questionable entering the game, was active but didn’t play any defensive snaps.
The Dolphins’ full list of inactives on Sunday, in addition to Howard: quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion/back/ankle), rookie wide receiver Erik Ezukanma, running back Salvon Ahmed (back), tight end Hunter Long and outside linebacker Trey Flowers.
Safety Clayton Fejedelem, who was activated from injured reserve on Saturday, made his season debut.
This and that
▪ Running back Raheem Mostert’s 113 yards were the team’s first 100-yard rushing performance this season
▪ Safety Brandon Jones’ sack on Jets quarterback Zach Wilson was his seventh since 2021, which leads all defensive backs.
▪ Hill’s 524 receiving yards through the end of Week 5 are the third-most by a Dolphins player ever through the first five games of the season. Only Mark Duper in 1984 and Irving Fryar in 1994 have recorded more receiving yards through five games.
▪ Bridgewater became the second player from Miami-Dade County and the first since Brian Griese to start at quarterback for the Dolphins.
This story was originally published October 9, 2022 at 11:43 AM.
