Dolphins lose Jackson for year, claim linebacker. And McDaniel addresses Fuller, Mostert

Three days after placing offensive tackle Austin Jackson on injured reserve, the team said Tuesday that he will miss the remainder of the season because of a knee injury that will require surgery.

Mike McDaniel originally did not believe that Jackson’s injury, which surfaced after the Buffalo game, would be season-ending. But further testing indicated something more significant, the nature of which was not revealed during the coach’s Monday news conference. Jackson is expected back for 2025 training camp.

“We got a bunch of different opinions,” McDaniel said of the diagnosis on Jackson’s knee.

Kendall Lamm is expected to remain the Dolphins’ right tackle for the remainder of the season.

Meanwhile, cornerback Kendall Fuller has been ruled out for the Dolphins’ game against visiting Las Vegas on Sunday (1 p.m., CBS) after sustaining his second concussion this season on Monday against the Rams.

McDaniel said it’s unclear how long Fuller will be out. But teams often are especially cautious with players who have two concussions in a single season.

“I’m concerned about his well-being; don’t have a timeline,” McDaniel said.

Fuller traveled home with the team from Los Angeles late Monday night.

In his absence, Cam Smith, Ethan Bonner, Storm Duck and Siran Neal will compete for playing time alongside Jalen Ramsey and Kader Kohou.

Besides Fuller, guard Rob Jones (knee) was the other player who exited for good during Monday’s 23-15 win against the Rams.

McDaniel said he would have an update on Jones during the coach’s media availability on Wednesday, and also would address guard Isaiah Wynn’s status at that time. Wynn hasn’t played this season because of residuals from a quadriceps injury sustained last October.

Meanwhile, McDaniel maintained that Raheem Mostert’s two recent costly fumbles (against the Colts and Bills) were not the reason he didn’t have a carry on Monday.

“We’re manipulating game plans week in and week out,” McDaniel said. “I feel very confident trusting Raheem with the football. He will have plenty of plays he will make the rest of the season. The particular usage was unique to the game plan. He’s still the leader of that room and we will be counting on him all season to get where he want to go.”

DODSON CLAIMED

The Dolphins on Monday claimed veteran inside linebacker Tyrel Dodson after he was surprisingly released by Seattle last week. Dodson led the Seahawks with 71 tackles this season, including five for loss, in nine games (all starts).

Dodson, who joined the Seahawks this year on a one-year, $4. million contract after four seasons with the Bills, began the season as Seattle’s middle linebacker and then shifted to weakside linebacker in mid-October.

Dodson had 143 tackles, including 11 for loss, and 4.5 sacks in 59 games and 15 starts over four seasons for Buffalo, who went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2019.

“It was a surprise he was out there,” McDaniel said. “Chris Grier is always trying to make the team better.”

The Dolphins placed tight end Tanner Conner on injured reserve to make room for Dodson.