The Miami Dolphins could have used Kadyn Proctor against the New England Patriots in Week 8. Instead, he watched from the sidelines as he recovered from a concussion suffered a week earlier against the Jets.
Proctor is an important piece of the offensive line. The rushing game is better, and the pass protection is better when he is on the field. On Monday, Jeff Hafley was asked about the rookie's availability for Week 9 against the Lions. Hafley wasn't giving out much information.
"He's still in protocol," Hafley said. "He is progressing through it, and we will continue to follow the steps."
Kadyn Proctor's Week 9 availability remains a mystery for the Miami Dolphins
Proctor suffered a concussion against the Jets. He wasn't pulled from the game, but according to Hafley in an interview announcing the issue, Proctor began to show symptoms after the game and was put in the league's mandatory protocol system.
Proctor wasn't cleared by the weekend, but fans shouldn't start to worry just yet. The Dolphins won't practice officially until Wednesday, meaning Proctor has five days to clear before their next game. It helps that this week is a home game as well, giving him more time to recover locally without the threat of a travel day being included in that timeline.
With Proctor out, Jarrett Kingston made his first professional start in three years. He previously played for the Panthers and Texans. Kingston struggled early, but cleaned up his game as it progressed. Hafley spoke about his impression of what he saw on the tape.
"He started a little slow, but he picked it up. I thought he finished well."
Hafley won't commit to him starting again this week, but that will depend on Proctor's availability. Hafley said they have confidence in him to play well if he is on the field. In his three seasons at the NFL level, Kingston has taken 146 offensive snaps; 113 of those have come with the Dolphins through seven games this year, including Week 8.
Hopefully, Proctor has cleared the protocol, but if not, giving Kingston more reps and real game experience, especially against a strong defensive team, isn't a bad thing. The Dolphins need their offensive linemen to have that confidence to come into a game without issues.
The Dolphins' line has played quite well this year despite many believing it to be one of their weakest units. For that momentum to keep building, they need their massive guard back in the lineup.
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