How to Manage Expectations with Dolphins Rookie Chris Bell Despite His Remarkable Recovery

The Miami Dolphins receiving room is among the youngest in the league. With every player 27 or younger, the unit is going to heavily rely on the early performance from their three 2026 draftees.

Chris Bell, who had the strongest collegiate resume of the bunch, returns from an ACL tear he suffered last year, and while it may take him some time to reach 100%, he’s ready to contribute.

"I'm going to be ready Game 1," Bell said without hesitation Wednesday. "I’m going to be ready. I’m going to be ready to take the field and just perform."

In Miami’s preseason finale, he logged five targets, two receptions, and took his first live contact since the November game that led to him needing surgery.

Getting Back in Shape

When asked in a Wednesday presser about his condition, Bell said, “I felt tired. I'm still trying to get into football shape. It had been a minute. Like today, I was a little tired today. I had to go sit in the cold plunge today, but I'm just trying to take it one day at a time. I know it's going to come, so I just got to trust the process.”

It will certainly take some time for Bell to recover, regaining stamina and strength. Though it’s a testament to his process to be back now, rather than later in the season.

GM Jon Eric Sullivan said in a presser Monday that the expectation was that Bell would be back after the October bye week. However, the work from himself and his trainers put him in a position to play against the Falcons in the preseason.

On his work ethic, Bell said, “Just waking up every day and doing the same thing over and over again. Gotta come in and lift, knowing I'm not practicing and stuff like that. I feel like the No. 1 thing is the mindset coming off a knee injury.”

Learning the Game

This injury took Bell out of a majority of his first offseason, and as he notes, he’s looking to make up for the invaluable time fellow rookies Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman spent practicing within a new offense.

“You can't do things with the team, so you got to be off to the side and take mental reps. I know it was a little hard for me, it was a little struggle just not being out there and you just got to take those mental reps... It just got better over time, but I still got to keep getting better and keep working.”

As Bell continues to prepare, he’ll likely be in for a key role early on. Miami’s lack of top-end talent will create opportunity and a vacuum of touches, which gives the third-round pick with high-end traits an advantage in the room.

Bell's Potential Role

Bell possesses a home-run-hitting ability that litters his college tape. He very easily hit another gear, which, combined with his 228-pound frame, made him a nightmare in the open field.

Drags, screens, and hitches are where he did his best work. Production on those underneath routes has the potential to take some off of new quarterback Malik Willis’ plate, and add a level of dynamism to a passing game that may have to generate explosives as opposed to a consistent offense, given their youth and talent level.

The biggest limiter on Bell’s potential success this season is his recovery. If he’s able to ingratiate himself within the offense early, there’s enough of a need for production through the air that he could become a primary option by season’s end.

Bell’s results will be contingent on how quickly he can get himself out from behind the eight ball. His recovery to this point puts him in a position to return for week 1, and how it progresses could be one of the key turning points for Miami’s passing game.

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