What Dolphins injury report reveals. Players make a change, and personnel news
The Dolphins listed center Aaron Brewer as questionable for Sunday’s game against the visiting Chargers, but Brewer said he plans to play.
Brewer’s practice participation was limited all week with a pectoral injury but indicated the injury isn’t adversely affecting him.
“I’m sure I’ll be out there,” he said. “I feel good to go.”
As expected, the Dolphins will be without linebacker Tyrel Dodson (concussion protocol) and safety Elijah Campbell (quadriceps). Both were ruled out.
Cornerback Storm Duck, who has been out since an ankle injury in the opener, says he’s healthy enough to play. He was listed as questionable.
Besides those four, no other player has an injury designation. Tua Tagovailoa will start against the Chargers (1 p.m., CBS 4) despite being limited Wednesday with hip and thumb injuries. He participated fully on Thursday and Friday.
Receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. is available Sunday after he spent last week recovering from a knee procedure.
The Chargers ruled out starting offensive tackle Joe Alt and former Dolphins defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand.
Revealing data
According to TruMedia, the Dolphins have used two-tight end sets sparingly this season. But when they have, it has been extremely productive.
In five games, the Dolphins have used “12” or ‘22” personnel fewer than two dozen plays, and those plays have averaged 8.4 yards and two touchdowns.
In 12 personnel, a team uses one running back, two tight ends, and two wide receivers on the field.
In 22 personnel, a team uses two running backs, two tight ends, and one wide receiver on the field.
The Dolphins used 22 personnel on six plays against Carolina and those plays averaged 13 yards, with two touchdowns.
Tight end Julian Hill said those packages are working mostly because of Darren Waller, who has three touchdowns in his first two games as a Dolphin.
“A lot of people questioned who he was going to be when he returned,” Hill said. “He shown the world he’s still that same player before he left. That causes defenses to pay a little more attention. It puts a lot of flavor on that 22 personnel.”
This and that
Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb, on what advice he would give struggling first-round defensive tackle Kenneth Grant:
“To be himself. Don’t let the outside noise get to you. They’re going to love you one week; they’re going to hate you the next. Right now, they’re hating on him. They’re throwing a lot of salt of him. But he’s a first round pick for a reason.”
▪ The final green-dot update of the week: On any team, five players can wear the green dot; those players serve as the defensive signal-caller, similar to a quarterback, who has a special helmet with a built-in communication system. This player is responsible for receiving play calls from the coaching staff and relaying them to the rest of the defense before the snap. But the big caveat is that only one player with the green dot can be on the field at any one time.
Dodson serves the role for the Dolphins. In his absence, K.J. Britt and Willie Gay Jr. have both practiced with the green dot this week. It’s possible that Miami could split snaps between the two, opposite Jordyn Brooks. It’s also possible that Brooks could wear the green dot; he wore it one season in Seattle.
Though defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver wouldn’t rule out a safety wearing the green dot, Minkah Fitzpatrick said Friday that would be “pretty difficult” for him because “I would be all over the field.”
▪ Brooks says he’s surprised about how poor the team’s run defense has been. Miami has allowed the most rushing yards in the league and the second highest per carry average (5.6).
“It’s surprising,” he said. “But it’s not [surprising] when we’re not doing all we can putting into our preparation. That’s something we’ve been stressing this week: make sure we’re preparing the right way as a unit. This week has been fantastic as far as preparation.”
Where was improvement in preparation needed?
“Attention to detail,” Brooks said “This week everyone has been a lot more intentional of what we need to do as a unit.”
As a result, defensive players have begun asking coaches to attend some of their player-led meetings. That has happened both in the front seven and in meetings involving defensive backs.
“You want to have coaches in there,” Duck said. “It shows how much we think of them.”
Receiver Malik Washington echoed Brooks’ sentiment earlier this week.
“I think we all just have to do a better job of knowing what coaches expect and coaches know what players are going through, so that we can all be on one accord,” he said.
Asked how that’s done, he said: “Within the meeting rooms. I think it’s staying after extra and talking to your coach and maybe having that extra meeting to say, ‘Hey, on third downs, what is this that you’re expecting of me? And what do I need to do if they give us this look? How do you want me to run this route?’
“And same thing on defense, they got to do the same thing. I think it’s us just spending extra time together and figuring out exactly what the coaches want of us so that we can play to their expectation.”
▪ CBS’ No. 4 NFL announcing team — Andrew Catalon, Charles Davis and Jason McCourty — will call Sunday’s Dolphins-Chargers game, their third Dolphins game in six weeks.
CBS is sending the game to all of Florida and a large chunk of the country. See 506sports.com for maps.
Here’s my Friday 6-pack, including Jaylen Wright’s reaction to being a healthy scratch and more on the young cornerbacks.
This story was originally published October 10, 2025 at 3:31 PM.
