Day 4 Dolphins practice report: Jones debuts, Kohou injured, Fitzpatrick news, highlights
News, notes and observations from Day 4 of Dolphins practice, the first open to fans:
▪ The last thing the Dolphins need is another injury at corner, their weakest position. Kader Kohou, the Dolphins’ best remaining cornerback, sustained a leg injury when he got tangled up with Tyreek Hill during quarterback/receiver drills but ultimately was able to walk off the field under his own power.
Kohou was on the ground for about a minute after the injury, got up limping and fell to the ground after taking a few steps, then got back up again.
He walked gingerly into the locker room with staff, a bit hobbled in his gait but not showing the pronounced limp from minutes earlier. That was an encouraging sign.
Meanwhile, rookie cornerback BJ Adams left after being shaken up, though he had no visible limp, which could possibly suggest dehydration or a concussion. He looked wobbly and had to carted off the field.
▪ New cornerback Jack Jones, wearing No. 23, worked with Mike McDaniel on footwork early in his first Dolphins practice and then broke up a pass to Tarik Black during drills with quarterbacks and receivers. During team drills, he forced Black to change his route, resulting in an incomplete pass. Jones seems to be in good shape.
Later in the day, Mike Hilton - the Bengals’ slot cornerback last season - also agreed to a deal with the Dolphins. Hilton allowed a 92.3 passer rating in his coverage area last season.
At this point, I would handicap the top six corners (odds of making the team) as Kohou, Hilton, Jones, Storm Duck, Cam Smith and fifth-round pick Jason Marshall Jr., who will assuredly be on the 53-man roster, barring an injury.
(On Saturday, Marshall made a great play in coverage, intercepting a Quinn Ewers pass. and returning it for a touchdown.)
But all of this is extremely fluid. Veterans Kendall Sheffield and Cornell Armstrong, third-year cornerback Ethan Bonner, second-year player Isaiah Johnson and undrafted rookies BJ Adams (health permitting) and Ethan Robinson all have a legitimate chance to wrest a roster spot from several listed above, with Sheffield certainly at risk even though the Dolphins like him.
The Dolphins also could add another veteran corner in August, perhaps sooner if Kohou misses much time. Miami has kept in touch with free agent Asante Samuel Jr., who is working his way back from a neck injury.
Miami so far has been reluctant to add older corners from a group headlined by Stephon Gilmore and James Bradberry.
▪ Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick has hired Drew Rosenhaus as his new agent with the hope of amending his Dolphins contract. The issue is not the $15.5 million he’s due this season, but the fact that his salary next season ($17.5 million) is not guaranteed.
If Fitzpatrick signs a new deal with new guaranteed money, it could be structured in a way to give the Dolphins cap relief. Miami has less than $2 million in salary cap space, according to the players union.
Fitzpatrick had the play of the day, extending his arms to make a dynamic interception on a Zach Wilson 35-yard throw to Tahj Washington. That was the Dolphins’ first interception of camp.
Marshall’s interception followed later in the day.
▪ Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, who’s on the non-football injury list, was working on the side with trainers. Dante Trader Jr., the rookie fifth-round safety, was missing for a second day in a row.
▪ A false start began the Dolphins’ first drive, which was appropriate because that has been a recurring problem throughout camp.
Tua Tagovailoa misfired to Tyreek Hill on the first downfield throw.
Tagovailoa has gone four days without throwing a TD or interception, though he did throw several TDs in 1 on 1 drills and again played well overall.
He was solid again on Saturday, completing multiple intermediate passes, including 10-yarders to Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill and a 22-yarder to Hill. He completed a deep crosser, for 45 yards, to Hill, beating Ashtyn Davis and Ethan Bonner, and then hit Waddle for about 20 yards to end practice.
▪ Right guard James Daniels, coming off a Week 4 Achilles injury, was back to doing two sets of 11 on 11 team drills. His workload is varying by the day.
▪ Alexander Mattison broke into the open field for two long runs and had another nifty run for 15 yards.
It’s a competitive battle between Mattison and Ollie Gordon II for the No. 3 running back job.
Gordon has looked good at times but fumbled earlier this week. And Channing Tindall stood him up in the backfield for a loss on one play Saturday.
▪ Zach Wilson completed a 30-yarder to Dee Eskridge and a 20-yarder to Andrew Armstrong, one of four undrafted rookie receivers trying to stick. Rookie safety John Saunders Jr. had good coverage on an incomplete bomb from Wilson to Tarik Black.
Armstrong also caught a touchdown from Tagovailoa in quarterback/receiver drills. He also connected with AJ Henning on a TD in those drills. Henning later dropped a pass in 11 on 11 drills.
The fourth undrafted rookie receiver, Mounaray Baldwin, caught a 50-yard TD pass from Quinn Ewers, beating Cam Smith.
▪ Tyreek Hill juked out cornerback Cornell Armstrong for a nice gain. Armstrong, who is well suited to play the slot, rebounded later by breaking up a Wilson pass. Armstrong hasn’t appeared in an NFL game the past two years.
▪ Linebacker Jordyn Brooks snuffed out a Jaylen Wright run for no gain. Brooks has had an excellent camp.
▪ Linebacker Willie Gay Jr. knocked down a Tagovailoa pass. Gay has been very disruptive (in a good way) during the first four days of practice. The other new veteran linebacker, KJ Britt, stopped a run for a loss on Saturday.
▪ Rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers threw his first interception, an underthrown pass that was picked by Marshall and returned for a touchdown. Marshall made a great play on the ball on the sideline, managing to catch it while falling to the ground and then getting up to run toward the end zone.
Earlier, Ewers delivered a 15-yard strike to Black on a sideline pattern. He had another pass sail on him.
▪ First-round pick Kenneth Grant had a sack on a blitz and stopped Wright on a run for a very short gain.
▪ Rookie defensive tackle Jordan Phillips stopped an Ollie Gordon run for no gain.
▪ Linebacker Chop Robinson had a good day; he applied pressure on Wilson on the Fitzpatrick interception.
▪ Defensive tackle Benito Jones beat Andrew Meyer for a sack on Tagovailoa.
▪ Defensive lineman Matt Dickerson sacked Wilson - Dickerson’s second splash play of camp. A reminder that tackling is not permitted, and players will not be in pads until Tuesday.
▪ A Wilson pass was nearly intercepted by Elijah Campbell.
▪ Wilson completed a 10-yard pass to Tajh Washington, who’s trying to make the team after spending his rookie season on injured reserve.
This story was originally published July 26, 2025 at 11:29 AM.