What the Dolphins final injury report reveals. And encouraging development on Tagovailoa
The Dolphins listed running back Raheem Mostert and receiver Malik Washington as doubtful for Sunday’s game at Seattle (4:05 p.m., CBS). Both were limited participants in practice all week.
As expected, wide receiver Grant DuBose (shoulder) was ruled out. Everyone else on the 53-man roster is available to play.
Mostert said he sustained a chest injury on the second carry of the season, in the opener against Jacksonville.
“My second handoff, I was running toward our sideline, went to land on my left shoulder and a linebacker bounced on my right,” he said. “It’s an injury where I sprained both of my SE joints and fractured some cartilage in my chest. Got 2 CT scans and an MRI.”
The SE joints are sacroiliac joints that link the pelvis and lower spine. These two joints are made up of the bony structure above the tailbone, known as the sacrum, and the top part of the pelvis, known as the ilium.
Mostert said it hurt to breathe in the immediate aftermath but “now I’m good. Breathing is getting a lot better. I was in a lot of pain [initially] especially when your adrenaline goes down. It’s uncomfortable, laying down and stuff like that. I’m feeling a lot better. Breathing is getting a lot better.”
He said the Dolphins’ Week 4 Monday night game against Tennessee is a “potential” target for playing again, but “it’s hard to tell. Depending on how I’m feeling. Everything seems like it’s trending up. I’m feeling good. This thing needs to heal on its own. It’s not like anything can be done. It just requires a lot of rest.”
Meanwhie, DuBose was spotted with his left shoulder in a sling in the locker room. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said the injury is not season ending.
Washington has missed the first two games with a quadriceps injury; McDaniel and Washington both said the injury has improved this week.
With DuBose out and Washington limited, the Dolphins have only three healthy receivers on the 53-man roster: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Braxton Berrios. The Dolphins likely will elevate at least one of their two practice squad receivers, Erik Ezukanma and Dee Eskridge.
TAGOVAILOA UPDATE
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — who will miss at least four games — was engaged in team meetings this week and will travel with the team to Seattle, McDaniel said.
And this was encouraging: Mostert spent time with Tagovailoa at a Disney on Ice event less than 24 hours after the concussion and Tagovailoa showed no signs of being concussed, according to Mostert.
“I spent time with him last Friday; we took our families to Disney on Ice, sharing that moment with our kids — and each other, and Jonnu [Smith’s] wife and kids,” Mostert said.
“It was good to see him out there doing his daily activities and being Tua… He seemed to be doing good then and doing good now. Seems like he’s in the upward trend. I can’t speak on his diagnosis but he’s still staying active and doing what he can do on a daily basis.”
THIS AND THAT
▪ One area where Skylar Thompson must improve: accuracy.
He has completed 57.1 percent of his passes (60 for 105) in nine regular-season appearances and was 18 for 45 in the January 2022 playoff loss at Buffalo.
Where has Thompson improved most since that Bills playoff game?
“He’s comfortable with this offense, comfortable with the guys,” tight end Durham Smythe said. “He won’t be as nervous as a quarterback is as a rookie starter. When you put all those things together, he’s in a much better place.”
Smythe said Thompson is “definitely an NFL arm talent and I think he would be one of the better ones.”
▪ Dolphins tight end Tanner Conner has played exactly three offensive snaps each of the first two games. The Dolphins hope to get him the ball at some point during those limited snaps.
“It’s looking for a mismatch,” Conner said. “When you have a tight end who can block and run good routes, you see how defenses react to it.”
▪ Quick stuff part 1: De’Von Achane on playing some at receiver: “It’s not new to me, but it’s new to other people.”...
The Dolphins are 2-9 as road underdogs under McDaniel.
The Dolphins enter Sunday 8-0 in CBS games called by Kevin Harlan since McDaniel became coach. CBS is sending the game to 17 percent of the country.