Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel hasn’t settled on whether the team’s starters will play in the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, but he’s leaning one way.
“After this practice, we’ll review it as a staff, and then I’m gonna meet with the staff tomorrow morning to kind of talk through that,” McDaniel told reporters in Chicago on Friday. “My starting point is I have, there are a lot of different things that could come into play.
“But my starting point is I’d like to get the starters snaps. How long or if at all will kind of be determined by the collective conversation that we’re going to have after this practice.”
It’s not surprising that McDaniel wants to see how Friday’s joint practice with the Bears goes before deciding on whether the starters will play on Sunday. Joint practices tend to be much closer to regular season football than preseason games.
Last season, the Dolphins sat their starters for the first preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons. So, it’s interesting to hear McDaniel say that he’s leaning toward getting the starters some reps on Sunday.
Some starters did eventually find their way into the lineup last preseason. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played one drive against the Washington Commanders in preseason Week 2, and he led a touchdown-scoring drive despite Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle being on the bench.
If Tua does play on Sunday, it’ll be the first time he’s played in a preseason opener since 2021. Ironically, that game was also against the Bears, a game Miami lost 20-13.
One of the team’s biggest focuses during training camp has been rebuilding the locker room culture. Playing the starters in the first preseason game would send a message that things are slightly different this year.
However, injuries are always a concern, especially for a team that has a bunch already. Kader Kohou, Artie Burns, and Jalin Conyers suffered season-ending injuries already. Right tackle Austin Jackson and safety Ashtyn Davis are both expected to miss “weeks.” Even fullback Alec Ingold is in the concussion protocol.
McDaniel mentioned that wide receiver Tyreek Hill is dealing with an oblique injury, so his status is unknown at this time. He was not in pads for joint practice on Friday.
Plus, the Dolphins have a bunch of injury-prone players. Setting Tagovailoa aside, Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, and Ifeatu Melifonwu have extensive injury histories.
Ultimately, the Dolphins are in a tough spot. If they lose a starter to an injury during the preseason, there will be a lot of pushback. However, if all the starters rest, some will question whether things are actually different in Miami.
If McDaniel continues to lean toward playing starters after Friday’s practice, it makes the most sense to have them suit up for one ot two series and then exit the game.
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