The Miami Dolphins began the week of practice ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the New York Jets with four players on the reserve/COVID-19 list as of Wednesday, but they have injured players at their same positions that could return.
While running backs Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed and Phillip Lindsay are in the NFL’s COVID protocols, fellow running back Malcolm Brown returned to practice Wednesday. Coach Brian Flores announced he would at his press conference ahead of Wednesday drills after stating on Monday he was hopeful Brown could practice this week.
Brown had 125 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries in seven games, three of them starts before injuring his quadriceps on Oct. 24 against the Atlanta Falcons.
“Malcolm looks good,” said Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on Wednesday. “Obviously, he’s still working his way into the lineup with us, but he looks good in practice.”
The other Dolphin on the COVID list is rookie starting safety Jevon Holland. As the team prepares for his potential absence, Miami could be getting back its other starting safety in Brandon Jones.
Jones was again at practice after missing the team’s past two games before last Sunday’s bye with an elbow injury.
“We’ll take this day to day,” Flores said of Jones. “If he’s available, then he’ll be out there. If he’s not, then the next guy will step in and play. Brandon’s eager to get out there and play. He’s doing everything he can from a rehab and training standpoint.”
Veteran safety Eric Rowe played in Jones’ spot in Dolphins wins over the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants. Replacing Holland at free safety could present another challenge.
“This is why we practice guys in multiple positions,” Flores said. “If this situation occurs, the next guy will step in and play. That may be a variety of players, but we feel good about the guys in that room, but it’s about preparations. It’s about how we practice.”
Rowe said he has practiced at both strong and free safety and also played free in college at Utah before starting his NFL career off as a cornerback.
“It’s been the same role, even though with Brandon going down for the past two games, I just stay in the strong safety role,” Rowe said of working in for the injured safety. “And then I still have my role whenever third down comes around, if they want me to man up on a tight end or play zone, I still have that role. It’s been the same, just people change.”
Other safeties on Miami’s active roster include Will Parks and Clayton Fejedelem, who contributes largely on special teams. Former University of Miami standout Sheldrick Redwine was elevated from the practice squad as a COVID-19 replacement after he had a previous stint on the team’s 53-man roster.
With Brown looking to potentially return, former Hurricanes star Duke Johnson is the one running back on the active roster as of Wednesday. Johnson, a veteran in his seventh NFL season that was bumped up as a COVID-19 replacement, has been on the practice squad throughout the season and was elevated the last time Miami played the Jets.
“He’s a professional,” Flores said. “He’s had a lot of production in this league. He’s preparing, and he always prepares as if he’s going to play. If he gets the opportunity, hopefully he’s put himself in position to take advantage of it, but that happens over the course of the week.”
Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker and tight end Hunter Long were not seen during the media viewing portion of the team’s Wednesday practice. Parker was taking a veteran rest day, while Long was cited as dealing with an illness, per the team’s injury report.
Jones, listed as having both elbow and ankle injuries, was limited on Wednesday, as well as tight end Adam Shaheen (knee). Center Michael Deiter (quadriceps/foot), tight end Cethan Carter (thumb) and cornerback Trill Williams (hamstring) were all full participants on Wednesday.
Brown was not listed on the injury report because players designated to return off IR don’t have to have a status reported by the team off practice.
