Dolphins O-lineman Robert Jones intends to play through pain
Robert Jones has already proven he’s an NFL player.
The former Middle Tennessee State standout did that by making it onto the Miami Dolphins’ 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie in 2021 and lasting four seasons.
This season is about proving to the world that he’s an NFL starter, and Jones has done that by holding down the starting left guard spot all season, and that distinction is something he takes great pride in, and a job he doesn’t plan on giving up.
That’s part of the reason Jones surprising practiced this week despite injuring his left knee during Miami’s 23-15 win over he Los Angeles Rams.
While that type of injury might sideline players a week or two, if not the season like it did starting right tackle Austin Jackson, who was placed on injured reserve last week and had a season-ending procedure this week, Jones intends on being in the lineup for Sunday’s home game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
“I see how Terron plays through his issues and never lets his team down,” Jones said, referring to team captain Terron Armstead. “If he can do it, I can do it. I just have to stay on top of my treatment.”
The concern however is that Jones’ ailment, the knee soreness, could get worse, or impact another muscle group associated with Jones’ ailing left leg. And considering Jones is playing on an expiring contract that could lead to a troublesome offseason.
The Dolphins’ only other option is to start Lester Cotton in Jones’ place, and that’s being considered since the two are likely sharing the first-team workload in practice this week.
Jones has started 21 of the 41 NFL games he has played in.
Cotton started nine of the 41 NFL games he’s played in since 2019, and eight of them were at left guard last season when injuries forced him into the Dolphins starting lineup for the second half of the 2023 season.
Incorporating Isaiah Wynn is also a possibility, but the fact Wynn has participated in all of three practices since the summer because of a quadriceps and knee issue that got him placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list back in July, makes it safe to conclude he will need a week or two to get himself in better football shape before Miami’s trainers clear last year’s starting left guard for game action.
If Wynn doesn’t get elevated to the 53-man roster this weekend the Dolphins will likely have to make backup center Andrew Meyer, a rookie, active for his first NFL regular season game to serve as a backup at the interior spots, or elevate Chasen Hines up from the practice squad.
Hines, a former LSU standout the New England selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, has spent two seasons with the Dolphins as a member of Miami’s practice squad.
