DAVIE, Fla. _ The Miami Dolphins are preparing to play the regular-season opener without starting center Mike Pouncey for the second time in three seasons.
Pouncey, who has been rehabbing a hip injury he suffered nearly three weeks ago, hasn't been cleared to practice. And even though head coach Adam Gase insists he's day-to-day, don't expect Miami's Pro Bowl center to be on the field when the Dolphins face the Seattle Seahawks in Sunday's season opener.
This is the second time Pouncey's hip issues have forced him to miss a season opener. Pouncey missed the first four games of the 2014 season because of a procedure he had done to his left hip. This time it's the right hip that's giving him trouble.
Hip and foot injuries have forced Pouncey, a former Florida Gators standout, to miss eight games the past three seasons.
Anthony Steen, a former Alabama right guard the Dolphins have converted to a center this offseason, will make his first NFL start in his first regular-season game.
Steen said the toughest challenge of replacing Pouncey is making sure he makes the appropriate offensive line adjustments since the calls at the line of scrimmage are his responsibility.
"I'm trying to stay focused, watching film, making sure I know what I'm doing more than anything," said Steen, who said he's leaning on Pouncey, quarterback Ryan Tannehill and 10-year veteran Jermon Bushrod, the Dolphins' starting right guard, to speed up his learning curve. "The mental part is just getting in shape. It's all about who wants it more."
Also held out of Tuesday's practice was starting split end receiver DeVante Parker (hamstring), starting weakside linebacker Jelani Jenkins (knee), and tailback Isaiah Pead (hamstring).
Rookie receivers Leonte Carroo and Jakeem Grant are competing to see who replaces Parker, but it's likely that both will play. Spencer Paysinger has been filling in for Jenkins, and Kenyan Drake's recovery from a hamstring injury he nursed all training camp has eased the void Pead's absence caused.
