Dolphins’ McDaniel addresses Brooks injury, Ewers’ week. And Tagovailoa/Ramsey
Linebacker Jordyn Brooks, the NFL’s leading tackler and a player often cited by coaches as the heart and soul of Miami’s defense, is a question mark for Sunday’s game against Cincinnati because of foot and knee issues.
Brooks did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday but will practice to an extent on Friday. [Update: Brooks said Friday afternoon that he’s OK and will play on Sunday.]
“He has worked to make himself available; we will see how it responds,” Mike McDaniel said.
The Dolphins will be without safety/slot cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick on Sunday against Cincinnati’s high-powered passing offense. That gives two of the Dolphins’ rookie defensive backs a chance to make their case to be rotation players in 2026.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said safety Dante Trader Jr. and cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. will share snaps in Fitzpatrick’s absence. Both have had a few good moments, but both also have permitted passer ratings of 130 or more, which is dismal. “I love both those young guys,” Weaver said.
McDaniel said kicker Jason Sanders and center Andrew Meyer likely won’t be activated off injured reserve this week, but both remain in the plans for this season.
Ewers update
McDaniel said he is pleased what he has seen in practice from Quinn Ewers, who will make his first NFL start on Sunday against the Bengals (1 p.m., CBS 4).
“I see the reason we made the move that way,” McDaniel said days after he benched Tua Tagovailoa and named Ewers the starter. “[His Thursday practice] wasn’t perfect. But the competitive response and conviction at the position after anything would go awry, I really like about him and it really showed off. Yesterday, a lot of plays he was able to make on third and first and second down... The team is confident in his ability.”
McDaniel said the team drew “energy” from how Ewers competed in practice.
McDaniel has spent a bit more time with the quarterbacks this week because the team is starting a rookie. “Extra conversations and a little extra film,” he said.
Tagovailoa/Ramsey situation
Tagovailoa drew criticism from fans on social media - and from a former All Pro player - for yukking it up with Pittsburgh and ex-Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey after Monday’s loss, which eliminated Miami from playoff contention.
The two stood on the field laughing and joking for several minutes. The Dolphins jettisoned the surly Ramsey this past offseason in part because he was perpetually late to meetings and not considered a good culture fit; Ramsey also wanted out.
McDaniel said he didn’t see it and thus would not comment on it. But others outside the organization were displeased.
“I am a believer in there is at least a minimum responsibility on the optics and everything with the fanbase and understanding how everybody is feeling after a certain game or after a way a season is going,” CBS No. 2 analyst and former All Pro defender J.J. Watt said.
“I’m not sitting here saying don’t laugh, you can’t talk to a friend after a game or anything like that, but I do think there are some optics of, when you’re cracking up, belly-laughing on the field after you just lost a huge game in that way to be eliminated from the playoffs, that’s a look that doesn’t go over well, whether it’s with certain other players in the locker room, whether it’s with ownership, whether it’s with the fan base.
“There is a responsibility when you’re the highest-paid player on the team and you are the leader of the organization. That’s just not a good look.”
Two Dolphins assistant coaches were asked their thoughts on Tagovailoa’s postgame behavior.
“It’s a 60-minute game, you catch somebody at a moment; what are you supposed to be, miserable the whole time?” offensive coordinator Frank Smith said. “I mean, that’s just not realistic. That’s painting a perception of something that’s not necessarily true. Everyone was very disappointed in the way the game went and very upset that it didn’t go their way.
“Darren Waller caught the ball in the end zone, were we supposed to be like, ‘Wish he would’ve done that three quarters ago?’” he said. “You never know, when you catch someone at that moment, what that was. I wouldn’t put a whole lot of stock into it because it’s a very hard game, it’s a long season. You have to find joy in each moment, because that’s the joy that pushes you forward.”
Dolphins running backs coach Eric Studesville said the NFL is “a very fraternal existence. One of the most interesting parts of the game, to me, I think, if people saw it, is the two hours before a game. If you go out there and you see all of us as coaches that are out on the field, guys that you’ve worked with before, you’re meeting new people, young coaches, whatever, we’re socializing, we’re interacting, we’re happy for those people. We’re asking about their kids, we’re asking, ‘How you doing? How’s this? How’s everything going?’ Because we have ties with each other.
“Now, that hour then, all of a sudden, before the game, we split up and we’re trying to go and we’re trying to get after each other professionally, which is what we do. And then, as soon as the game’s over, we come back together. We just want everybody to be safe, healthy. ‘Hey, how you doing? Take care of yourself.’ You know? ‘I’ll talk to you soon.’ Whatever that is.
“We’re focused and locked in during the game. Is there times when you smile? Yeah, when you score, a guy should smile. Does a guy have to be serious and locked in and that he can enjoy scoring a touchdown? I don’t think that’s the case either.”
This story was originally published December 19, 2025 at 11:51 AM.
