Miami Dolphins guard Ted Larsen might miss time

Thursday was not a good day for the Miami Dolphins. This week was not a good week for the Miami Dolphins in regards to injuries. Ted Larsen is the latest instance of injury for the team.

Ted Larsen left practice early and went into the locker room with trainers. After a Ryan Tannehill scare also occurred, Larsen’s news did not register with many fans as they worried for their quarterback.

But Ted Larsen looks like he might have the more serious injury. It is reported that Larsen has a torn bicep and will likely miss many weeks of the regular season. This is a huge blow for an offense that has had bad luck with the injury bug recently.

As recently as today, coaches were praising Ted Larsen’s abilities on the field. His versatility and effectiveness makes him a quality interior offensive linemen for team. Offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen went as far as to say that he very well may have been the starting left guard to start the season.

Whether he would have started or not, he surely would have seen significant time. Because of the normality of injuries along an offensive line, Larsen was destined to play a huge role for the Dolphins throughout the entire season.

His play gave the offense little-to-no dropoff from starting guard to himself. That is a statement that cannot be ignored, as it lets us truly understand the value he holds for this team.

Although no timetable has been set, it is very likely that he will miss multiple games (at the least) and he could possibly be placed on IR to start the season.

This opens up the competition for the starting left guard. Although Kraig Urbik is likely going to be the starter, Isaac Asiata and Jake Brendel have less competition ahead of them to fight for playing time.

This should give a boost to both youngsters and allow them to play more than they would have (both in practice and in games). That will only speed up the learning curve for both players.

Asiata was one of the favorites to win a starting spot heading into camp. Brendel has been a beneficial surprise to the offensive line and very well may push his way into a rotation.

There are two positives that come out of this: it will give the team healthy competition at a position of need and it will provide the team with a form of reinforcements deeper into the season (similar to T.J. McDonald).

The healthy competition between Kraig Urbik, Anthony Steen, Jake Brendel and Isaac Asiata will bring out the best in everyone and hopefully make the decision a tough one for coaches to decide.

As many of you may know, it is very difficult to go a full 16 games without getting injured at any position, especially the offensive line. So expect there to be some injuries in that area. With Larsen’s return later in the season, it will be like adding a starting caliber player to the team when it needs it most.

Ted Larsen is a great player and will truly be missed on the field.

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