Miami Dolphins Thursday Injury Update and Other Notes

The injury outlook for the Miami Dolphins looked a lot brighter on Thursday, based on the updated injury report.

After a Wednesday practice in which 12 players did not practice, that number was down to four, with only cornerback Jalen Ramsey not practicing.

The seven-time Pro Bowl player is still dealing with a hamstring injury.

The three limited players were repeats from Wednesday, although that also meant Aaron Brewer, who told reporters he was ready for the season opener.

DT Benito Jones (knee) and WR Malik Washington (quadriceps) also were questionable for the second straight day.

Four players were completely off the injury report: tackle Terron Armstead, defensive lineman Calais Campbell, linebacker David Long Jr. and cornerback Kendall Fuller. They were all given a day of rest by the vet on Wednesday, with Armstead and Campbell sitting out and the other two limited.

Safety Jordan Poyer and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. were full participants after being limited and placed on the injured list along with veterinary rest on Wednesday. Linebacker Jaelan Phillips was also a full participant after not working out and being placed on the Achilles/veterinary rest list.

Linebacker Quinton Bell went from limited to full participation, while safety Jevon Holland was listed as a full participant for the second straight day despite an ankle injury.

Jacksonville still has just one player on the injured list: safety Daniel Thomas, who is again limited by an Achilles injury.

Holland missed most of training camp due to injuries that appeared to have occurred during a joint practice with the Atlanta Falcons. He said that may have played a role in him not being named team captain this year, despite having that honor in 2023.

Holland was the only one of the seven captains on the 2023 team who did not re-tenure, the other two being Christian Wilkins, now with the Las Vegas Raiders, and Xavien Howard, who is still looking for a new team.

This year’s four new team captains all play defense: Zach Sieler, Campbell, Long and Ramsey.

“The team voted; I didn’t play the whole practice, I got hit and bruised and everything,” Holland said during an appearance on the Up & Adams podcast. “But it is what it is. I wasn’t there enough in practice to establish myself as one of those guys, which is fine because I’m just going to keep being me, being myself, and that’s the way it’s going to be. I mean, if I don’t have the C on my chest, I don’t have the C on my chest, but that doesn’t mean I’m not a leader. That doesn’t mean I’m not still the individual that I was in years past. So I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing.

“And of course I had a hunch. I mean, we’re bringing in all this veteran leadership. You know, you’ve got Pro Bowlers, All-Pros, Super Bowl champions. Obviously, they know something. So they’re being put in a position to lead individuals who haven’t been in those positions before.”

Holland is entering the final year of his rookie contract and could become an unrestricted free agent next spring without a new deal, the same position Wilkins found himself in last year.

Offensive coordinator Frank Smith’s press conference on Thursday began with some levity. A reporter cited a tweet from Tyreek Hill in which he laughed at the resemblance between a clean-shaven Smith and hot dog-eating champ Joey Chestnut.

Smith handled it very sportingly.

“Well, they told me, and I just said, ‘The one week I actually shave my beard, I’m going to get a side-by-side,’ and I just thought, it was hilarious,” Smith said. “Maybe I could have given him a run for his money back in college when I was 300 pounds and playing O-line. And now he’s really good at what he does.”

Smith was the team captain and a three-year starter (2001-03) at Miami of Ohio, where Pittsburgh Steelers regular starter Ben Roethlisberger was the starting quarterback.