Injury Report: Dolphins Training Camp, Day One

After the first day of practice, head coach Mike McDaniel talks about Beckham, Jr., Armstead, Holland, and more.

Jul 24, 2024; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel talks to reporters during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex. / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The hype surrounding the addition of three-time Pro Bowl receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. to the dynamic duo of Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill had Dolphins fans salivating with anticipation of adding excitement to the already top-ranked offense from last season.

However, Tuesday's news dampened that excitement as Beckham, 31, who sat out 2022 after undergoing his second of two ACL surgeries, was placed on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and missed the first day of training camp practice on Wednesday.

Beckham is coming off a solid season with the Baltimore Ravens, hauling in 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns while averaging a career-high 16.1 yards per catch.

However, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel downplayed Beckham's minor issues at his pre-practice media session.

"I think he's working his way back," McDaniel said. "It's so important that him coming to this team in this offense, that he's able to focus on the timing and execution of how he plays the position. If he's compromised in any regard to do that, then the challenge becomes cerebral.

"When is he going to practice? I don't know. The longer that is, it just means how much more you have to be detailed. I can promise you I'm in a better place with it than he is, you know. He's a competitor. He wants to be out there, and we also have to have long vision, get your body right while mastering what we do being a part of the team so that you can hit the ground running when you're out there."

Veteran offensive tackle Terron Armstead, who sat out seven games last season and four the year before with various injuries, turned 33 on Tuesday. Besides riding the stationary bicycle on the sideline, he didn't participate on Wednesday.

"The plan is to make sure that we have a good relationship with him because he wants to play football really bad," McDaniel said. "To make sure that he's involved to the point that he feels outstanding while also trying to do right for him and keep him out of his own way because when he goes, he likes to go.

"He can't stand not playing football all the time. We'll be battling him on that. There will be days of full participation, days of partial and days that make sense for a couple young guys to get opportunities. It will be very, very fluid, but he's in a great place. Healthy as ever. Really spry, I feel like he thinks he's 23 years old right now. So, he's feeling himself and we want to make sure that that doesn't end up in a negative situation."

As is usual, McDaniel avoids predicting timetables for the return of injured players, so he didn't bite when asked for a timeline for linebacker/pass rusher Bradley Chubb (ACL surgery for the third time after going down in Game 17), linebacker Jaelen Phillips (Achilles' surgery in November), or most recently linebacker David Long, Jr. (unknown), all placed on active/PUP.

"I get concerned with things like that when we're supremely down in numbers because I'm not settling roster battles in a basement with magnets," joked McDaniel. "The opportunity in each position group when someone is not practicing, that's what I'm focused on. Now, when the numbers get dwindled.

"But there are especially at the stack backer position, there's some great competition. If you want to tell me the final depth chart of that position, let me know because I have no clue. So guys being able to be out on the field, as long as we have enough guys that we can fully give dudes good opportunities to set where they're at on the depth chart, then I'm good to go."

The latest injury occurred on the second practice snap Wednesday when inadvertently free safety Javon Holland was upended after colliding with rookie receiver Malik Washington while attempting to stop a sideline pass to Tyreek Hill from Tua Tagovailoa. Holland did a complete flip and landed hard on the turf. He remained down for a moment and sat out a play before returning.

However, he immediately came out and was attended to by the training staff, who appeared to be working on his legs. Holland sat out the remainder of the 90-minute practice. In 2023, he missed six games (including the postseason) with two injured knees.

Last week, a surprising loss occurred when 31-year-old linebacker Shaquil Barrett announced his retirement on social media. The Dolphins signed the two-time Pro Bowl veteran and two-time Super Bowl champion to a one-year deal worth a reported $7 million ($6.75 million guaranteed) in March. He led the league with 19.5 sacks in 2019 and played 16 games last season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, notching 4.5 sacks and 52 tackles.

Miami then brought back Emmanuel Ogbah to help fill the void.

"Well, I guess surprised in that I wasn't forecasting it," McDaniel said. "But you know you talk to him, and you understand completely and support a teammate that way. I think professional athletes put a lot on the line, and I think it's important to recognize that. I'm happy when people make decisions to play or not play when it's their own decision that they are satisfied with. I'm happy that he's at a place where he can move on for the reason of spending time with his family."