Miami Dolphins guard James Daniels will soon clear this important step
It had been a little more than 300 days since James Daniels last suited up in full pads.
That day, however, culminated with a ruptured Achilles for the then-Pittsburgh Steelers guard, effectively ending his 2024 season just four games into a contract year. The past 10 months have been different levels of grueling but the 27-year-old is officially near the finish line.
“I meet with my doctor either today or tomorrow and I believe after that meeting I’ll be cleared,” Daniels said Tuesday following his first practice with pads.
This bolds well for the Miami Dolphins as they will trot out a revamped offensive line to protect quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Daniels, who signed a three-year, $24 million deal with the Dolphins in early March, is one of three new faces in the starting unit alongside second-year tackle Patrick Paul and rookie guard Jonah Savaiinaea. As the group continues to find its rhythm, Daniels’ health will be paramount as the rest of the room already appears to lean on him.
“Leadership and knowledge,” Kion Smith responded Tuesday when asked what Daniels has brought to the offensive line room. “He has played the game for a long time so any time you got a question, he’s always quick to give you feedback.”
Added Savaiinaea: “He has good anchor in a pass. Especially for a guy like him, he has long arms. I always get advice from him, what are his aiming points, where are his eyes at when he’s pass setting. So conversations like that then in the room, going back to what I’ve said just being able to pick his brain, how does he take notes, what does he do for recovery and all that.”
This appears to be part of Daniels’ nature. As he discussed his recovery, the eight-year veteran talked about why it’s important for him to be a resource for anybody who has torn their Achilles.
“It’s a tough injury to come back from,” Daniels said, explaining that the advice he got from others who have been in similar situations was extremely helpful to him. “I just want to be that guy. People can ask me because Achilles tears are going to happen down the road.”
That emphasis on communication outside of Baptist Health Training Facility also bleeds into the meeting rooms. With Savaiinaea slotted in on the left side next to Paul, Daniels and tackle Austin Jackson are set to form a bulwark on the right. This not only gives the Dolphins a more experienced duo on Tagovailoa’s blind side but also pairs together arguably the two best run blockers, a move that hopefully will pay dividends down the road.
“He sits right in front of me in meetings, and we talk a lot about things he’s done in the past, things I’ve done in the past,” Daniels said of Jackson. “The chemistry has been going extremely well and I’m really excited to play with him.”
Jackson expressed a similar joy about the run game.
“I’m really excited about our run game this year, as well as our pass game, but mostly our run game just because it’s kind of what we hang our hat on in this system,” Jackson said last week. “We’re very proud of it, we’re very proud of the techniques we use to block.”
With the pads now on, the effectiveness of this offensive line will soon come to light. There were few moments of glory Tuesday — namely Tagovailoa connecting on a few deep balls and tailback De’Von Achane’s first-down run — but without center Aaron Brewer, who has missed most of training camp with a lower extremity, slight soft tissue injury, it’s still difficult to get a full picture. A clean bill of health for Daniels, however, is a very important step in the process.
“There’s people who played years with each other and still don’t have chemistry,” Daniels said. “Every day, we’re just building more and more. I’m understanding how [Jackson] fits things or how he wants things done. Every day, I’m just getting better.”
This story was originally published July 29, 2025 at 2:27 PM.
