Dolphins’ McDaniel addresses position switch issue question, Waller, more issues
Dolphins rookie Jonah Savaiinaea played right guard at Arizona, but the team plans on keeping him at left guard because he’s comfortable there, coach Mike McDaniel said Monday.
Asked if the organization has considered moving him to the right side because of his uneven start to the season, McDaniel said no.
He explained the thinking this way:
“Do some of his strengths get empowered or are you helping the player moving him on the right side? The way he approaches everything and why we tried [left guard] early is he feels more comfortable where he’s at right now in our offense.
“If there were things happening to him that I thought it would be alleviated by playing on the right, I would absolutely do that. Both his good plays and his bad plays at this point, the way he’s gone at it, we haven’t measured a side issue, which is why we haven’t thought to do that.”
Pro Football Focus rates Savaiinaea the worst guard in football this season.
McDaniel addressed other issues:
▪ Tight end Darren Waller, who has missed the past three weeks with a hip injury, will practice this week and have a “situational snap count or package” as opposed to “unleashing him” on Monday against the Jets, McDaniel said.
“He will be a on snap count,” McDaniel said. “What that is, I wouldn’t go to all these lengths, have all this build up and throw him out for 60 plays. I have an idea roughly [how much he will play Monday]. We will see if that idea plays through the practice week.”
▪ Would McDaniel consider using running backs De’Von Achane and Ollie Gordon II on the field together more?
“There were a couple plays when both were out there together” against Buffalo, McDaniel said.
“You can use two backs on the field at the same time as much as they can handle the learning workload because you are taking a halfback who has all of those responsibilities on his plate and is adding a receiver/tight end F responsibilities to that player.
“We will do that as much as how many play calls we get. A package like that can only allow for that if the players... are executing.”
The flip side could be fewer snaps perhaps for Malik Washington or Alec Ingold or Waller.
“If You have one personnel group out there, you don’t have another,” McDaniel said. “There’s an opportunity cost with Malik, or Darren Waller or the Alec Ingolds. You are trying to find a perfect mix but it’s something we have done and will continue to do depending on the schematic advantage.”
▪ McDaniel said Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who has only five targets and three receptions in three games, “is certainly a guy that I think that can help us, the way he plays with physicality whether he has the ball or not. I’m sure his catches will come. He was a primary on the touchdown to Tyreek Hill [Thursday].
▪ Kicker Riley Patterson will be signed to the 53-man roster this week after being elevated from the practice squad for the first three weeks of the season. Players can be elevated only three teams by a team in one season.
Jason Sanders (hip) is eligible to return from injured reserve after the Jets game.
▪ Cornerback Storm Duck (hamstring) will likely miss Monday’s game against the Jets at Hard Rock Stadium (7:15 p.m., CBS-4, ESPN).
▪ Guard Liam Eichenberg, who has been on the physically unable to perform list since the start of training camp with a lower-body injury, has a “chronic” issue that will require more time to heal.
He’s eligible to return after the Jets game but will not be ready that soon, McDaniel indicated.
This story was originally published September 22, 2025 at 2:48 PM.
