Advertisement

Tyreek Hill’s thumb injury not serious; some Dolphins starters may play preseason finale at Bucs

david furones, south florida sun-sentinel
·4 min read

TAMPA — The thumb injury that is keeping star Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill off the practice field toward the end of training camp doesn’t appear to be serious.

As the Dolphins prepared for a joint practice in Tampa with the Buccaneers on Wednesday morning, coach Mike McDaniel said the speedster was progressing but did not want him to risk further injury. The team is taking a cautious approach and will protect him from aggravating the minor ailment with the Sept. 8 regular-season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars rapidly approaching.

“From a medical standpoint, you’re just trying to let something cool down so you don’t have something happen at the expense of regular-season games,” McDaniel said Wednesday in Tampa. “He’s been very active, but we’re trying to make sure there is nothing — that we keep him out of harm’s way.”

Hill ran routes early in Wednesday’s practice but did not catch footballs with the ailing hand nor participate in team portions of drills. He is not expected to suit up for Friday’s preseason finale against the Bucs.

It is not clear how or when Hill suffered the injury. He did not play in Miami’s first two preseason games.

Along with Hill, the Dolphins have not had fellow standout wide receiver Jaylen Waddle for weeks at camp with an undisclosed injury, and Odell Beckham Jr. remains on the physically-unable-to-perform list. Meanwhile, River Cracraft suffered a significant shoulder injury in last Saturday’s preseason game against the Washington Commanders.

McDaniel, to start his answer on Hill’s injury, joked, “I’m really good at thumb war. He lost.”

Starters’ status

While Hill shouldn’t play Friday, some starters may be active for the preseason finale, McDaniel said.

Most won’t, though.

Related Articles

“We will play some starters; we won’t play others,” McDaniel said. “For a majority of the starters, (Wednesday) is a very big practice because some of them won’t play. There will be some that do, but that is just kind of how I look at it overall.”

Assuming quarterback Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t start, Friday’s game will be critical for both Mike White and Skylar Thompson as they compete for the backup job.

The final camp practice and Friday’s exhibition will also answer questions on the interior of the offensive line, which has not had starting center Aaron Brewer for the past two weeks with a hand injury.

“The competition is very good at that position,” McDaniel said of the whole offensive line. “There are some pretty competitive battles going on, specifically on the interior.

“I feel very good about the top portion of our offensive line, and I feel very strong about the competitors pushing those guys, that there’s some spots still to settle.”

Waddle suits up

Waddle was dressed and in pads for Wednesday’s practice in Tampa. He was seen with the wide receiver unit during early individual drills, but he did not participate in the team setting against the Buccaneers.

The word from McDaniel has been that Waddle’s undisclosed injury is something minor that he would normally fight through in the regular season, but there has been no need to push him in camp and the preseason.

“Just getting back right,” Waddle said Wednesday after practice. “Just listening to (head athletic trainer) Kyle (Johnston) and the guys, listening to my body. Something minor but something that we had to respect, and I’m just happy to be back out here working with the guys.”

Waddle confirmed he could play through the ailment for meaningful games and weeks.

“Definitely. I’m always ready to go,” he said. “Sometimes they just got to pull me back and keep me from myself and ultimately having me out there for regular season.”

Waddle, who has started his NFL career with three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and earned a three-year extension this offseason to add to the next two years he was already under contract for, certainly doesn’t need preseason reps to get prepared for a season. But he does say seeing action in the exhibition season, which he also didn’t last August, makes a difference.

“Because that’s the first time being tackled in six, seven months,” he said. “So it is a little different, but ultimately, it’s about health and the best thing for the team and for myself.”