Darren Waller missed all of the 2024 season, not because of injury, but because of retirement. The newest tight end on the Miami Dolphins roster just got off to a bad start.
The Dolphins do not disclose information on players' statuses during training camp. They are either able to participate or not. When they can't, they will get a designation of some sort, but the Dolphins do not have to reveal why a player is not able to practice.
In the case of Waller, whom the Dolphins traded future compensation for, the arrival of camp wasn't what he or the team was hoping for. The Dolphins placed Waller on the Physically Unable to Perform list on Tuesday.
Traditionally, this is another way of saying he failed the conditioning test. The decision to put Waller on the list isn't important yet, but as camp continues to move forward, not having Waller on the field could be problematic.
With Waller being potentially not available for an undisclosed period of time, interest by Dolphins fans in Noah Fant will only increase. Fant was released earlier in the week.
Liam Eichenberg joins Darren Waller on Miami Dolphins PUP list.
The Dolphins saw a lot of promise in Eichenberg, and despite many fans groaning over him being re-signed, his addition to the roster after a quick free agency test made sense. Now, he will start training camp on the sidelines as well.
Eichenberg is battling for his job, but the additions of Jonah Savaiinaea and James Daniels mean his days of starting are likely to be relegated to injury. His inability to start camp healthy is also a concern.
Like Waller, the important thing for Eichenberg is to get on the practice field and keep his roster spot at this point.
Another player of note, Ifeatu Melifonwu, will start the camp season on the non-football injury list. His injury has not been identified by the Dolphins, but it is something more than a simple failed conditioning test.
The Dolphins will ramp up camp practices this week as they head into the weekend. Hopefully Waller and Eichenberg will be able to get on the field before those sessions start.
Waving Brett Gabbert isn't overly surprising, but the Dolphins will likely add another quarterback to the roster soon for camp purposes.