Could This Be the Week for an IR Return (or Two)?

The Miami Dolphins have four players eligible to return from injured reserve

Miami Dolphins guard James Daniels (78) works on the field during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The long-awaited return of Miami Dolphins players from injured reserve finally could be happening this week.

But the definitive answer as to which of their players eligible to start practicing, if any, will do this week won't come until Wednesday morning after the team travels to Madrid, Spain, to begin their on-field preparations for their game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

While this isn't exactly the kind of definitive statement Dolphins fans might want, it beats head coach Mike McDaniel's weekly answers of the past month, which always consisted of no player ready to return yet.

As a reminder, the Dolphins have four players on IR who all have been eligible to return for more than a month, with three of them being offensive linemen James Daniels, Austin Jackson and Andrew Meyer. The fourth is kicker Jason Sanders.

"I'll have a firm answer on Wednesday," McDaniel said Monday in a weekly day-after media session following the Dolphins' 30-13 victory against the Buffalo Bills. "Right now, between the logistics of coaching through the film from this morning and then traveling to another country, I don't really have an exact picture. We're all traveling, and there is a chance that somebody does, but we'll see if that someone does."

Daniels and Jackson both were injured after starting the season opener against the Indianapolis Colts, while Sanders and Meyer both were designated to return from IR after being placed on the list when the Dolphins made their cuts to the 53-player limit in late August.

The Dolphins offensive line has had an up-and-down season, so getting Daniels and/or Jackson back in the lineup would be a big boost. The likelihood, though, would be any player returning from IR would play his first game after the bye, November 30 against the New Orleans Saints.

The other Dolphins player currently on IR is tight end Darren Waller, and he'll be eligible to return after the game against Washington.

Offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg has been on PUP since the start of training camp, but McDaniel said a couple of weeks ago he didn't anticipate him being able to return this season.

DOLPHINS HEALING UP

The news involving injuries also was encouraging related to players on the 53-man roster.

McDaniel said he was confident that the four players who missed the game against Buffalo would be available against Washington. That group includes CB Rasul Douglas, OLB Chop Robinson, S Ashtyn Davis and TE Julian Hill.

Robinson has cleared concussion protocol.