Dolphins’ McDaniel updates Armstead, Waddle, Walker other issues
Mike McDaniel said Tyler Huntley will get more practice snaps than Tua Tagovailoa this week, and that Tagovailoa’s status for the Jets game remains an unknown because of a hip injury that hasn’t healed: “We are in a gray area... because his body did not cooperate.”
But McDaniel had more clarity on a couple of other players:
▪ He said he is “optimistic” that receiver Jaylen Waddle will be able to play Sunday at the Jets (4:25 p.m., Fox) after missing two games with a knee injury.
McDaniel said Waddle didn’t play in Cleveland partly because he would have been at risk of re-aggravating the injury playing on a wet field.
▪ It sounds unlikely that linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. will play Sunday.
McDaniel said he doesn’t “totally expect” Walker this week but wouldn’t completely rule it out and reiterated the injury is “week to week.”
Tyrel Dodson was exellent in Walker’s absence, producing 15 tackles and an interception against Cleveland.
▪ McDaniel said left tackle Terron Armstead, who left the Cleveland game with an injury, has not been ruled out for the season. But his status for Sunday’s Jets game is obviously in question.
“He’s going to see what he can do and [we] will approach the week with mindset of getting Patrick Paul ready to start but allowing Terron to see if he can get himself ready to play,” McDaniel said.
Armstead has battled the knee injury for more than two months and has missed one game because of it. Paul allowed three pressures and a sack in 22 pass blocking snaps after taking over at left tackle.
McDaniel, who said Tagovailoa playing against Cleveland was not an option medically, addressed a couple of other issues:
▪ McDaniel said there was nothing notable about De’Von Achane not having a carry late in the second quarter and early in the third quarter.
Raheem Mostert “was deserving of an opportunity,” McDaniel said.
▪ McDaniel loves how Tyreek Hill played; he caught all nine of his targets Sunday.
▪ McDaniel, on the Dolphins needing Kansas City’s help to beat Denver to give Miami a chance to make the playoffs: “I will care about that the second our game is over.”
Both the Dolphins and Broncos games will be at 4:25 p.m. and both will be televised in South Florida.
▪ McDaniel, on kicker Jason Sanders, who has hit 25 field goals in a row, including nine consecutive field goals of 50 or more yards:
“It’s what you’re looking for in a kicker. The moment isn’t too big for him. It’s very impressive what he’s been able to put together since I’ve been here.”
This story was originally published December 30, 2024 at 3:01 PM.
