Nothing in the NFL is easy, especially keeping Miami Dolphins players healthy. What started as one of the league’s best running back units has fallen off fast due to the injury bug.
Already without Alexander Mattison for the season, the Dolphins are now dealing with a Jaylen Wright injury that required a medical procedure to fix. Mike McDaniel did not go into detail about the issue, but it appears to be relatively minor.
Wright is expected to miss a week or two to start the season, but his absence forced the Dolphins to make more additions to their backfield. After reuniting with Jeff Wilson, Miami will also sign veteran JaMycal Hasty to the practice squad.
Dolphins add RB JaMycal Hasty to the practice squad after Jaylen Wright injury update
One of Wilson or Hasty will undoubtedly get elevated to the active roster for Week 1. With Wright sidelined, the backup job falls on the physical legs and shoulders of Ollie Gordon, who defied expectations in a big way during camp and the preseason.
The Dolphins are also dealing with an injury to De'Von Achane, who's been held out of practice while trainers work to get his calf ready for the season. They have taken a slow approach, but McDaniel said the timeframe still lines up a Week 1 return.
Positive news was also relayed about Tyreek Hill, who has missed weeks of practice with an oblique injury. McDaniel said his timeline is the same.
The Dolphins traded up for Wright in the 2024 draft, giving up a third-round pick in the 2025 draft. It's still early but that move has not aged well. The former Tennessee star has struggled to get reps and has struggled to find consistency. Many believe Gordon should take over the RB2 role.
While Miami fans know all about Jeff Wilson - good and bad - Hasty is an interesting addition. The sixth-year pro spent two years in San Francisco before moving on to Jacksonville and New England for short stints. His last two years were spent with the Patriots.
Hasty hasn't started a game in his entire NFL career. Last year, he rushed only 20 times for 69 yards; they were the first rushing attempts in the regular season since he ran 46 times with Jacksonville in 2022.
Clearly, Hasty will be a practice squad option for one of those "Break glass in case of emergency." Still, there were many better options available on the free agent market, making this another head-scratcher by Chris Grier.