Insight on situations with Armstead, Noah, Van Ginkel, Rowe and other Dolphins updates
Quick hits from the Dolphins locker room Wednesday, heading into Sunday’s 1 p.m. game at Baltimore:
▪ Neither of the Dolphins’ starting offensive tackles practiced on Wednesday, Austin Jackson because of an ankle injury and Terron Armstead for more complicated reasons.
Armstead has a toe injury which is requiring treatment. But the primary reason offered for his absence from practice was because he was given a veteran’s rest day, as was the case in Week 1.
Armstead left Sunday’s opener briefly and then returned. Coach Mike McDaniel acknowledged Wednesday that Armstead is dealing with an injury and was non-committal about his availability for Sunday.
McDaniel said Jackson, who left in the second quarter of Sunday’s game, is healing: “There has been an improvement. As far as how much [improvement] there will be by game time, you’‘ll have to ask his ankle.”
Tua Tagovailoa said Wednesday: “I know that Austin is day-to-day and I know that Terron is also doing his best to get back out there with us.”
If neither can play, one possible offensive line permutation against the Ravens would be backup Greg Little playing left tackle, starting right guard Robert Hunt at right tackle and backup Robert Jones at right guard.
Little said he worked at left tackle and right tackle in practice Wednesday, and coaches have told him to be ready wherever he’s needed.
During training camp, Little said he played 60 percent of his snaps at left tackle and 40 percent at right tackle. He said he’s comfortable at both.
Little played 45 snaps at right tackle after Jackson left Sunday’s game against New England.
▪ Besides Armstead and Jackson, four others missed practice Wednesday: tight end Cethan Carter (concussion protocol), linebacker Melvin Ingram (veteran’s rest day), receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. (toe) and Salvon Ahmed (heel).
▪ Safety Eric Rowe, who missed the opener with a pectoral injury, remains limited in practice and said he’s not 100 percent but that playing in Sunday’s game is a possibility.
“We’ll go through the week and see how it feels,” he said.
Also limited Wednesday: tight end Tanner Conner (knee).
▪ Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, three weeks from having his appendix removed, played special teams but only seven defensive snaps on Sunday. McDaniel said his defensive snaps will increase as he works his way back.
Van Ginkel said he was “a little rusty. Missing practice is not good for anybody. I lost a little bit of weight.”
He said the fact he needed his appendix removed “took me by surprise.”
He felt pain in the lower right part of his stomach one morning in August, and the Dolphins medical staff thought he should have a CAT scan. It was determined that he needed his appendix removed.
“The surgeon did a great job,” he said.
▪ Cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, who was inactive for the Patriots game, said he was told early last week that it was a possibility that he would be inactive for the game, and coaches told him Saturday that it was definite.
His reaction to that news?
“Of course I want to be out there with the guys,” he said. But “it was good to see the greatness in this team.”
Asked what coaches told him he needs to do to be active, he said: “It’s not necessarily something I need to do. I don’t know the reason” for being inactive.
He said he hasn’t been told if he’s in the plans for this week.
The Dolphins opted to play Kader Kohou (who was very good), Elijah Campbell and Keion Crossen.
▪ Teddy Bridgewater’s name swirled around social media this week when Dallas lost Dak Prescott to an injury for several weeks. ESPN subsequently reported that the Cowboys are expected to stick in house and use Cooper Rush as quarterback instead of making a trade.
Has Bridgewater asked Dolphins general manager Chris Grier or McDaniel whether the team would consider trading him?
“No,” he said. “I’m focused on being a Dolphin.”
▪ CBS is sending Sunday’s Dolphins-Ravens game to only a small part of the country, with most getting Patriots-Steelers instead.
This story was originally published September 14, 2022 at 4:12 PM.
