Two More Players Sidelined for Start of Camp; How It Impact the CB Competition

The Miami Dolphins placed two players on PUP

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (13) catches a pass against Miami Dolphins cornerback Storm Duck (36) on Thursday, November 28, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won the game, 30-17. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Reporting time for training camp always comes with disappointing injury news, and the Miami Dolphins added some Thursday when they placed cornerbacks Storm Duck and Darrell Baker Jr. on the Physically Unable to Perform list.

They will join on the sidelines at the start of training camp rookie wide receiver Chris Bell, who was placed earlier this week on the Non-Football Injury list (basically PUP except for an injury that occurred during his college career).

Like Bell, Duck and Baker can be activated at any time between now and the roster cuts to the 53-player limit on Sunday, August 30, but the Dolphins would have a roster decision to make on each player if they're still on PUP at that time — Reserve PUP, activated to the 53, or waived.

As with Bell, this wasn't overly surprising considering that neither Duck nor Baker was spotted during the spring practices open to the media.

Duck is recovering from the knee injury during the October victory against the Atlanta Falcons that ended his 2025 season. Baker played all 17 games during the 2025 while with the Tennessee Titans, including every snap during the team's regular season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which would indicate his injury occurred at some point during the offseason program before the first OTA open to the media.

Veterans dealing with or coming off injuries could be required to report for training camp beginning Thursday and reporting day entails a physical, and Duck and Baker obviously failed that.

THE CORNERBACK QUESTION

This is not a great 2026 start for either Duck or Baker, who the Dolphins signed as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, as they try to earn a roster spot at a very crowded cornerback position.

It's been one setback after another for Duck especially after he found himself in the starting lineup for the 2025 season opener after the Dolphins moved on from 2024 starters Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller were let go and Kader Kohou sustained a torn ACL in training camp.

Duck ended up playing only two games last year, that opener against the Colts that he left early because of an ankle injury and that game at Atlanta in his return following a six-game absence.

Baker was one of three UFAs the Dolphins added in the offseason along with Marco Wilson and Alex Austin to join a competition that also includes rookie first-round pick Chris Johnson, and holdovers JuJu Brents, Ethan Bonner and 2025 draft pick Jason Marshall Jr.

Johnson appears to be the one lock to be a starter next season, though Brents looked impressive enough in his 2025 appearances to think he'll also be starting.

But there's a lot of competition for roster spots there, and Baker and Duck really can't afford to miss that much time in camp if they hope to stick.