Phin Phanatic
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Miami Dolphins 2023 season will be determined by team health

By Brian Miller

Aug 17, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, US; A general view of a Miami Dolphins helmet on the field during practice at Baptist Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 17, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, US; A general view of a Miami Dolphins helmet on the field during practice at Baptist Health Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 13: Tua Tagovailoa #1 and Trent Sherfield #14 of the Miami Dolphins celebrate after a touchdown in the second quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns at Hard Rock Stadium on November 13, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 13: Tua Tagovailoa #1 and Trent Sherfield #14 of the Miami Dolphins celebrate after a touchdown in the second quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns at Hard Rock Stadium on November 13, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images) /

The Miami Dolphins are built, on paper, to challenge the rest of the AFC for a title game but injuries could be a problem.

Can the Dolphins afford to lose players in 2023? All teams have to assume that they will have season-ending injuries and week-to-week soft tissue injuries, and when you factor in illness and other sidelining events, a few turns of bad luck can put a team in a corner.

For the most part, teams acknowledge that this is a probability and do what they can to avoid it or prepare for it when it happens. Having a backup plan in place goes a long way.

Tua Tagovailoa

Tua missed considerable time last year including the playoffs. He has not been healthy for a full season since he came into the NFL. That is not a knock, it is simply a fact. Miami’s backup plans have been Ryan Fitzpatrick, Skylar Thompson, Teddy Bridgewater, and this year Mike White.

Needless to say, if Tua goes down, the chances of Miami making a run deep is going to depend on the defense.

Bradley Chubb

Another big ticket player that Miami is paying highly for, Chubb has yet to complete a full season since his rookie year. This falls under the Chris Grier tendency to sign players with injury history. It would be fine if he were getting big discounts but he isn’t.

Terron Armstead

Armstead has never finished an entire season and last year, he missed time again. The Dolphins opted to pay a premium for the left tackle and while you can’t dismiss the leadership value he brings, take him off the roster and Miami doesn’t have a viable backup plan as we found out last year.

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