Dolphins Health/Injury Report After Preseason

Breaking down the outlook of injured players heading into the regular season

Miami Dolphins place kicker Jason Sanders (7) kicks a field goal against the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium during the 2024 season. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

With the Miami Dolphins having wrapped up their 2025 preseason schedule with a 14-6 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday night, the focus now shifts to the regular season.

How the Dolphins will get their roster to the maximum 53 active players before Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET is the biggest priority at the moment, but another important issue with the regular season opener now two weeks away is the overall health of the team.

The Dolphins used their starters against Jacksonville other than those dealing with or recovering from injuries, and they appeared to have left the game without additional issues to front-line players.

Linebackers Channing Tindall and Eugene Asante each left the game in the second half, and the severity of their injury was undetermined as of Sunday morning.

But we do have some clarity when it comes to some other injuries after head coach Mike McDaniel provided some updates following the Jacksonville game at Hard Rock Stadium.

DOLPHINS INJURY UPDATES AND OUTLOOKS FOR WEEK 1

• Kicker Jason Sanders: Something happened with Sanders during pregame warmups, and as a result it was punter Jake Bailey who handled the opening kickoff, which was no big deal since he's kicked off before in his career. But Bailey never had tried a field goal, and he gave it a shot from 51 yards out later on because Sanders was unavailable. The Dolphins also went for a two-point conversion after each of their two touchdowns. "It was something that he doesn’t appear concerned for Week 1," McDaniel said. "He was telling me that he was going to kick extra points and I was like we need the 2-point conversion work. We’ll see when he comes in but he wasn’t overly concerned for Week 1." If Sanders' issue does become a concern for Week 1, the Dolphins simply could sign a kicker to the practice squad and elevate him for the opener against the Indianapolis Colts.

• Linebacker Jordyn Brooks: Brooks was injured toward the end of the joint practice Thursday and McDaniel said Brooks wanted to play in the game, but the decision was made not to take any chances. So this doesn't sound like much of an issue.

• Running back Jaylen Wright: Like Brooks, Wright was injured in the joint practice against Jacksonville, and his injury clearly is more significant. McDaniel said after the game that "we’re kind of evaluating a couple of options procedurally" and called Wright "week to week." This doesn't sound great when it comes to Wright being available for the Colts game, and it also brings up the idea that maybe Wright will start the season on IR. As a reminder, the IR rules give the Dolphins the chance to designate two players at the cuts to 53 to return from IR and they don't count against the 53; the Dolphins also have eight in-season IR return designations, but those players have to be on the initial 53; any player placed on IR before Tuesday is out for the season.

• Wide receiver Tyreek Hill: Hill wound up not playing in a single preseason game all summer and he hasn't practiced since the team left for the Midwest on August 7, though the feeling remains he'll be fine for the start of the regular season.

• Defensive tackle Kenneth Grant: The rookie first-round pick has missed the last couple of practices and didn't play against Jacksonville, but McDaniel said his injury wasn't expected to be a long-term deal, so he probably still looks good for Week 1.

• Cornerback Ethan Bonner: Bonner was injured in the preseason game at Detroit and McDaniel said early last week he was a "week-to-week" situation. He's another candidate to begin the season on IR.

• Cornerback Kendall Sheffield: McDaniel's prognosis for Sheffield was a bit more cloudy last week, so he projects as a major question mark for Week 1.

• Offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg: Eichenberg has been on PUP the entire summer and there's nothing to suggest anything other than he'll begin the season on Active/PUP, which will sideline him for at least the first four games of the regular season. "I don't foresee him being an immediate return," McDaniel said. "I don't foresee it being season-long."

• Offensive tackle Austin Jackson: McDaniel said last week that Jackson was making steady progress with no setbacks and he remained confident he'll be ready for the start of the regular season.

THE DOLPHINS ON INJURED RESERVE

In addition to Eichenberg being on PUP, the Dolphins have placed eight players on injured reserve this year and those eight are out for the season — unless the Dolphins waive them with an injury settlement, in which case they could return after some weeks (it's a longer wait if the player returns to the same team).

Generally speaking, though, these players are done for 2025:

-- CB Artie Burns

-- OT Yodny Cajuste

-- TE Jalin Conyers

-- OL Obinna Eze

-- OL Germain Ifedi

-- CB Kader Kohou

-- CB Jason Maitre

-- RB Alexander Mattison