Conner Coming Off Pup

The Miami Dolphins tight end made the team as a rookie free agent last season

Tight end Tanner Conner beat the odds to make the Miami Dolphins' 53-man roster as a rookie free agent last summer, and now he'll try to do the same in 2023 despite a very late start in training camp.

The Dolphins activated Conner off the Active/PUP list before practice Tuesday and now he's got a week to convince his coaches that they should keep him on the 53 for a second season.

Had Conner stayed on PUP, the Dolphins would have had the option of keeping him on that list when they made the cuts to 53 players, which would have kept him out of action for at least four games, though he wouldn't have counted against the roster limit.

Having come off PUP, that option no longer is available.

Dolphins coaches spoke glowingly about Conner's potential before he made the roster last year, though he failed to catch any passes in 13 games in the regular season, dropping two of the three passes thrown his way.

The Dolphins tight end corps includes veterans Durham Smythe, Tyler Kroft and Eric Saubert, along with rookies Elijah Higgins and Julian Hill, and it's probably safe to say that the only player in the group who's a lock to make the 53-man roster is Smythe.

Saubert sustained a foot or ankle injury in the preseason game at Houston on Saturday and head coach Mike McDaniel indicated he could be out of action for at least a few weeks.

So while he's started late, Conner shouldn't be counted out in his quest to make the 53, even though he did come as a bit of a surprise that he was activated this late in camp.