Projecting the Dolphins Week 9 Inactives After the Jaylen Wright Update

Hours before the Miami Dolphins are set to reveal their inactive list for their Week 9 game against the Detroit Lions at Hard Rock Stadium came a report involving one of their injured players, that report indicating that running back Jaylen Wright will miss the game because of a quad injury.

This development, reporting by NFL insider Ian Rapoport, isn't overly shocking considering that running back Carlos Washington Jr. was elevated from the practice squad Saturday after both Wright and fellow running back Kaytron Allen were listed as questionable on the final injury report of the week.

In reality, the Dolphins actually might miss Wright more on kickoff returns, where he had taken over for wide receiver Malik Washington as the main player for that role.

The Dolphins logically will go back to using Washington to return kickoffs against the Lions, though another possibility might be rookie fifth-round pick Kevin Coleman Jr.

It's been a difficult year for Wright, who can't find his footing at running back and is averaging a paltry 1.9 yards per carry as the backup to new starter Ollie Gordon II following the season-ending knee injury sustained by De'Von Achane.

PROJECTING THE DOLPHINS INACTIVES FOR WEEK 9

The Dolphins again have 55 players from which to choose after their Saturday moves, whichalso included elevating kicker Zane Gonzalez for a third consecutive week and the game-day limit is 48 if at least eight of them are offensive linemen, which basically is a given.

That means we have to project seven inactives, one of whom then obviously will be Wright.

Here are this week's projections:

RB Jaylen Wright

WR Jalen Tolbert: Tolbert was active against the Patriots in Week 8, but we're thinking maybe it was to give the offense a veteran presence at wide receiver in rainy conditions. The feeling here is the Dolphins will go back to waiver wire pick-up Jared Wayne.

T Chukwuebuka Godrick: The waiver wire pick-up from Kansas City was active for the first time against New England and got four snaps on special teams. But Kadyn Proctor is back this week after being out with a concussion and the Dolphins' top eight on the offensive line is pretty set.

G Christian Haynes: The recent waiver wire pick-up from Seattle has upside as a former third-round pick, but he'll have to wait his turn behind top backup guard Jarrett Kingston.

TE Justin Joly: Joly has been a regular on the inactive list, and the reality is the Dolphins are set with their top three at tight end with Greg Dulcich, Will Kacmarek and Seydou Traore.

CB Marcellas Dial Jr.: Dial is among the young group of backup cornerbacks the top three of Chris Johnson, JuJu Brents and Jason Marshall Jr., but he's the one who's usually been inactive and there's no reason to project a change for this game.

CB Jaylin Simpson: The return of Kyle Louis from his injury gave the Dolphins 11 DBs on the roster, which gave them the option of sitting two and we're thinking the same strategy will apply here.

THE 2026 DOLPHINS INACTIVES

Week 1 (at Las Vegas) — WR Jalen Tolbert, QB Brady Cook (3QB), CB Reese Taylor, G DJ Campbell, T Chukwuebuka Godrick, TE Justin Joly

Week 2 (at San Francisco) — WR Jalen Tolbert, QB Brady Cook (3QB), CB Marcellas Dial Jr., G DJ Campbell, T Chukwuebuka Godrick, TE Justin Joly, EDGE Chop Robinson

Week 3 (vs. Kansas City) — QB Brady Cook (3QB), CB Marcellas Dial Jr., G DJ Campbell, T Chukwuebuka Godrick, RB Jaylen Wright, WR Caleb Douglas, EDGE Robert Beal Jr.

Week 4 (at Minnesota) — WR Caleb Douglas, QB Brady Cook (3QB), CB Marcellas Dial Jr., EDGE Robert Beal Jr., G DJ Campbell, T Chukwuebuka Godrick, TE Justin Joly

Week 5 (vs. Cincinnati) — WR Caleb Douglas, RB Kaytron Allen, CB Reese Taylor, EDGE Robert Beal Jr., G DJ Campbell, T Chukwuebuka Godrick, TE Justin Joly

Week 7 (at N.Y. Jets) — WR Jalen Tolbert, CB Marcellas Dial Jr., CB Reese Taylor, LB Willie Gay Jr., EDGE Robert Beal Jr., G DJ Campbell, T Chukwuebuka Godrick

Week 8 (vs. New England — CB Marcellas Dial Jr., CB Jaylin Simpson, EDGE Jamree Kromah, G Christian Haynes, G Kadyn Proctor, TE Justin Joly, WR Jared Wayne

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