The NFL is all about availability. If you are not able to play, there isn't a lot of use for you until you are healthy enough to get on the field. The Miami Dolphins are far from healthy. Kenneth Grant and Trey Moore are both on injured reserve, but this team is healthier than anyone expected.
Jeff Hafley met with the media on Monday and was asked about the injuries, more specifically, who was available. He said that everyone is in a good position. At practice, Miami Herald beat writer Barry Jackson mentioned that every player on the 53 was practicing.
Every Dolphins player on the 53 is now available. Will Kacmarek and Ronnie Harrison are back practicing today, per Hafley.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) September 7, 2026
Jon-Eric Sullivan's Miami Dolphins roster building just proved Chris Grier's approach was wrong
In 2025, the Dolphins had ruled out Jaylen Wright, Darren Waller, and Ethan Bonner. D'Wayne Eskridge and James Daniels were questionable. By the end of Week 1, Daniels' career in Miami was over as he headed to IR.
- 2025 - 8 players started the season on IR
- 2024 - 10 players started the season on IR
- 2023 - 10 players started the season on IR
This year, the Dolphins have five players starting the year on injured reserve. Including Moore and Grant, Ben Sims, Cole Turner, and Rene Kongo round out the list. In 2025, the Dolphins started the season with 8 players on the list; by the end of the year, 19 players were on IR.
The Dolphins are going to go through injuries like everyone else, but this year has been interesting, to say the least. Hafley has pushed for much more physical practices with live tackling on contact days. That wasn't something Mike McDaniel did consistently.
Miami has avoided major injuries this year so far, but inevitably they will come. Conditioning is key to preventing injuries, but so is instruction in proper technique and fundamental football.
Another possibility is the approach Jon-Eric Sullivan has taken with his team this year. In previous years, Chris Grier took chances on cheap free agents coming off injuries or with a history of injuries. Sullivan has stated that a player's availability is one of the things he looks at when determining whether a player will be signed or not.
It may sound simple, but Grier's affinity for reclamation projects rarely provided the Dolphins with the production they had hoped for.
It's a great thing for a team that is looking to get off to a quick start and set a tone for the rest of the season. As Hafley has stated, it's not necessarily about the wins and losses, but more about the continued development. Having players available is the first step in the process of developing that talent.
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