All Dolphins

Dolphins Resting Some Starters Against Chicago

Cornerback Xavien Howard heads the list of front-line Miami Dolphins players who will not play in the preseason opener against the Chicago Bears

Alain Poupart

Along with their injured players, the Miami Dolphins will be keeping out a few starters in their preseason opener against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, NFL Network).

All of the healthy scratches are on the defensive of the ball.

Leading the way is Xavien Howard, who will be joined on the sideline by fellow cornerback Byron Jones and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah.

The other defensive players not expected to see action against Chicago are linebacker Jaelan Phillips, safety Brandon Jones and linebacker Vince Biegel. Phillips returned to practice Wednesday after missing more than a week with a groin injury but was out Thursday; Jones has missed a week with an ankle injury; and Biegel was sporting a walking boot on his right foot Thursday.

The offensive players who will not play include four wide receivers: Albert Wilson, Will Fuller V, DeVante Parker and Allen Hurns. The first three didn't practice in Chicago; while Hurns did take part in both practices against the Bears.

Lastly, also sitting out will be rookie second-round pick Liam Eichenberg, who sustained an injury Wednesday and made only a brief appearance in the first part of practice Thursday.

Head coach Brian Flores declined to say earlier this week how long his starters would play against the Bears, saying that decision had not been made yet.

ROSTER CUTS COMING

The Dolphins and the rest of the NFL will start paring down their roster Tuesday, with every team required to get down to 85 players on the active roster by 4 p.m. ET.

The roster will have to be cut to 80 players by 4 p.m. ET the following Tuesday (Aug. 24) and finally to the 53-player limit by Tuesday, Aug. 31.

Published
Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

Home/News