Dolphins starting guard Isaiah Wynn suffers setback

The Miami Dolphins need Isaiah Wynn back.

Despite rushing for nearly 200 yards against the New England Patriots, the Dolphins have been somewhat effective running the ball, ranking 18th overall. Sure, the absence of Raheem Mostert, who sustained a chest injury in the season opener that sidelined him three games, could be blamed for the poor rushing numbers but so can the offensive line. Outside of center Aaron Brewer and tackle Terron Armstead, who rank 11th and 1st at their respective positions, the rest of the O-line — Liam Eichenberg, Austin Jackson and Robert Jones — rank in the bottom half, according to Pro Football Focus

Wynn hopefully could help bolster the unit yet the 28-year-old right guard had a bit of setback in his recovery from a quadricep injury, per coach Mike McDaniel, that limited him to just seven games in 2023.

“There were some lingering things that did come up that weren’t the quad,” McDaniel said Monday morning. He wouldn’t provide a timeline to Wynn’s return but categorized the injury as “stress in one area can lead to stress in another.”

Although McDaniel didn’t give any details as to exactly what happened, his answer can be interpreted as Wynn simply overexerted himself during his rehabilitation.

“He’s been so unbelievable thirsting for what he just got started last year but understanding his own body and putting the daily work in,” McDaniel said.

Wynn has struggled with lower-body injuries for most of his career. The 2018 first-round picked missed his entire rookie year after he tore his ACL in preseason. He then missed the back half of the 2019 season due to turf toe. The following year, a Week 11 knee injury landed him on injured reserve. Despite playing all 16 games in 2021, he sustained a foot injury in 2022 that limited him to just nine games.

Wynn signed a one-year, $2.3 million contract with the Dolphins in 2023 after he spent his first five seasons in New England. Miami re-signed Wynn to another one-year deal in the 2024 offseason. While the Dolphins have played more games without him since his 2023 signing, his value to the team high.

“He loves ball,” Jackson said. “His energy, his excitement, focus translates to his play. It will be great whenever he comes back.”

Jones, who replaced Wynn at right guard, beat out Lester Cotton in the training camp battle for right guard. Jones, however, has been somewhat lackluster, allowing five quarterback pressures, two of which have turned into sacks, according to PFF. And while he has also been responsible for two penalties, they came during the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars and had his strongest game of the season against the Patriots, finishing with a PFF grade of 79.1.

Despite the Dolphins’ slow start to the year, Miami did own one of the league’s best rushing offenses in 2023. The Dolphins averaged more than 130 rushing yards per game, the sixth-highest mark in the league, and totaled over total 400 yards per game in 2023. Despite some free agency departures along the O-line, there’s still hope that Wynn’s return could inch the Dolphins closer to last year’s, franchise-setting offensive production.