DAVIE, Fla. _ Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase said it wasn't a tough decision to reinstate Lawrence Timmons on Tuesday after the linebacker served a one-game suspension.
"(I) just felt good about where we were at with him," Gase said Wednesday.
Gase said Timmons' reinstatement had nothing to do with wins or losses and that there's a "possibility" Timmons could play Sunday against the New Orleans Saints in London.
The Dolphins are 1-1 after defeating the Los Angeles Chargers and losing to the New York Jets.
Gase said last week that players who commit transgressions can be forgiven if the "right steps" are taken. But Gase didn't elaborate on what steps Timmons took to get reinstated.
"That's something that I'm just keeping in-house right now," he said. "(We) worked through a couple of things, and L.T. handled the business he needed to handle. I'm glad he's back."
Gase said he has no concerns about Timmons being welcomed back to the locker room by his teammates.
And when asked whether trust has been restored between Gase and Timmons, Gase didn't hesitate.
"Yes," he said.
Gase didn't divulge whether Timmons addressed the Dolphins as a team, saying that too would stay in-house.
"I'm sure you guys will talk to him at some point," Gase said to reporters.
Gase, who has been fairly tight-lipped about the entire episode, also declined to say whether he had any assurances from Timmons he wouldn't go AWOL again, saying he preferred to keep those conversations private.
Timmons, a 10-year veteran signed in the offseason as a free agent from Pittsburgh, left the team without explanation on Saturday, Sept. 16, the night before the opener at the Chargers, a 19-17 victory by the Dolphins.
The Dolphins were so concerned they filed missing persons reports with local police in Los Angeles, sources confirmed.
Timmons was suspended indefinitely on Sept. 19, two days after the game, and was reinstated Tuesday after officially serving a one-game suspension.
Chase Allen, an undrafted rookie from Southern Illinois, has been serving as the starting strongside linebacker in Timmons' absense.
It's unclear whether Timmons, the projected starter who has five consecutive 100-tackle seasons, would immediately step back into a starting role even if he does play Sunday against the Saints.
