Beckham ready to practice fully, but more than a dozen other Dolphins sidelined or limited
After several months working his way back from an offseason knee procedure, receiver Odell Beckham Jr. appears very close to being able to help the Dolphins.
Though the Dolphins had only a walk-through on Wednesday, the team noted on its injury report that Beckham would have been a full participant had the team practiced.
Asked whether Beckham will be active for Sunday’s game at New England (1 p.m., Fox), coach Mike McDaniel said he needs to see Beckham in at least one full practice before determining that.
The Dolphins have 21 days to move Beckham from the physically unable to perform list to the active roster.
On Wednesday, the 21-day clock also started for cornerback Cam Smith, who has been on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. He also would have been a full participant if the team had practiced Wednesday.
But two Dolphins on the 53-man roster would have been unable to practice on Wednesday -- Jaelan Phillips, who announced he’s out for the season with a partially torn ACL, and safety Jordan Poyer, who has a shin injury.
Nine Dolphins would have been limited participants if the team had practiced fully:
Left tackle Terron Armstead and cornerback Kendall Fuller (who both remain in concussion protocol), receiver Braxton Berrios (ankle), linebackers David Long Jr. and Duke Riley (who both have hamstring injuries), running back Raheem Mostert (chest), quarterback Skylar Thompson (ribs), receiver Malik Washington (quadriceps) and running back Jeff Wilson Jr. (knee).
Long said Wednesday that his hamstring is feeling better but wasn’t certain if he would play at New England.
Wilson said he sustained a painful knee injury during pregame warm-ups on Monday night but that the discomfort has subsided and he expects to be available for Sunday’s game.
In addition to those 11 players dealing with injuries, linebacker Bradley Chubb (knee), linebacker Cameron Goode (patella tendon) and guard Isaiah Wynn (quadriceps) remain on PUP and are not ready to practice. River Cracraft (shoulder) and Tua Tagovailoa (concussion protocol) remain on injured reserve.
So how does the team overcome all this adversity?
“There are a lot of people who have the appropriate intent,” McDaniel said. “It’s the ultimate test of a lot of things you say you believe. It does one of two things -- it splinters people or brings them together... .
“You hope you’ve invested in the right people. The only way to prove that is a daily attack of things that have been uncomfortable.”
McDaniel addressed other issues:
▪ Asked if there are consequences for players who drop passes or commit penalties, McDaniel said: “When you are negatively affecting the team, it’s my duty as the head coach to literally hit it right between the eyes and talk about it at a team meeting.”
Asked about Tyreek Hill dropping a backward pass and later dropping another pass, McDaniel said Hill has shown “accountability” with teammates.
▪ On the struggling offense: “I’m not used to having the lack of offensive production. The fans, everybody is not used [to this]. So you try to problem solve.
“It’s not just schematics and it’s not just players. You find success when everyone is connected. There’s nowhere to hide and it’s not fun when you’re not achieving.”
▪ McDaniel said quarterback Tyler Huntley continues to progress in the offense: “All the guys feel they need to do a better job. He feels he needs to do a better job. I feel I need to do a better job.”
▪ McDaniel said 1-3 New England “plays a really cool style of ball that is physical. You are going to have to go on the road and earn the win.”
This story was originally published October 2, 2024 at 4:53 PM.
