Dolphins Put Two Players on COVID list
The Miami Dolphins will begin their final week of preparations for their season opener against the New England Patriots minus two offensive players.
Starting left tackle Austin Jackson and tight end Adam Shaheen both were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list Monday morning, putting in doubt their status for the game against Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
Along with those two moves, the Dolphins elevated cornerback Jamal Perry from the practice squad as a COVID-19 replacement.
The moves left the Dolphins with 52 players on the active roster at the moment.
If Jackson is not available, logic suggests it would be newcomer Greg Little who would take his place in the starting lineup. Little, a former second-round pick, arrived in a trade with the Carolina Panthers a couple of weeks ago.
Jackson did not have strong performances in either of his two preseason appearances — against Chicago and Atlanta — but the team was hoping he could start showing progress in his second season.
Little had a rocky two seasons with the Panthers, but he did start six games and he was considered a high-end prospect coming out of Mississippi, where he succeeded Laremy Tunsil as the team's left tackle.
Shaheen's status for the New England already was questionable given that he hasn't practiced in several days because of an injury. It's also not like the Dolphins don't have great depth at tight end with the roster already including Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe, Cethan Carter and rookie third-round pick Hunter Long.
It's the second time this summer Shaheen has landed on the COVID-19 list.
According to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, Shaheen landed on the COVID list because of a positive test and because he's not vaccinated he'll have to be out at least 10 days, per the NFL-NFLPA protocols.
Shaheen explained during his first media session of training camp his reasoning for not getting vaccinated.
“For me, it’s a personal choice and it’s bigger than just COVID," Shaheen said. "I’m not going to elaborate further on that. The NFL has been trying to push it. It is no secret that they’ve been trying to push it on unvaccinated guys. I’m going to continue to go through the protocols of the unvaccinated that they make me do. I’m not going to get fined. But they are not going to strong-arm me into doing something for more freedom when this is such a changing atmosphere and they are already taking away freedoms of unvaccinated guys. This is just a changing environment and I’m going to take my hands off and follow the rules that they put in place for me. But they’re not gong to strong-arm myself into getting it, so no.”
Perry's return puts the number of defensive backs again at 13, which is an awfully high number for that position.
