Hill Sits Out, Sieler Doesn't Finish Practice

Sieler went back to practice after sustaining an apparent leg injury, but eventually sat out the final periods
Hill Sits Out, Sieler Doesn't Finish Practice
Hill Sits Out, Sieler Doesn't Finish Practice /
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Tyreek Hill joined his fellow Miami Dolphins wide receiver speedster teammate Jaylen Waddle on the sideline at practice Wednesday, but the biggest injury news of the day was the strange situation involving Zach Sieler.

The sixth-year defensive lineman spent a good amount of time during practice flexing his left leg after sustaining an apparent injury during one-on-one pass-rushing work against offensive linemen.

Sieler went back to practice after initially being examined by trainers while on his back in the middle of the field and did work in team periods, but eventually stopped practicing after again talking to a trainer, flexing his leg and removing his helmet.

While fellow lineman Christian Wilkins' contract situation has overshadowed his, Sieler also is looking for a new deal to replace his current one, which has him massively underpaid by any NFL standard given his production for the Dolphins.

Sieler is scheduled to make only $3.2 million in 2023, the final year of the three-year contract extension he signed in 2021. Sieler was on hand for the offseason program — at least every practice open to the media — though he did not take part in team periods at that time. That was a different approach from center Connor Williams, who did not attend any of the offseason program — even the mandatory minicamp — and also is looking for a new contract.

Given Sieler's contract situation, it actually was surprising to see him return to practice after initially being hurt. Sieler has been really, really impressive throughout training camp and it's not like missing most of one practice would have drastically affected his preparation for the start of the regular season.

Obviously, Sieler felt he could continue, but the fact he kept flexing his leg throughout practice should have been a sign for him to call it a day.

The hope obviously is that the injury is very minor and Sieler will be back at practice Thursday, but let's just say that nobody needed to have Sieler continue working Wednesday if he was going to keep flexing his leg.

HILL SITS OUT

Hill was absent from practice until the halfway point when he showed up to watch wearing short and a T-shirt.

The Pro Bowl wide receiver said after a joint practice in Houston last week that he was supposed to have the day off at that time but wanted to get some work in, so perhaps this was a make-up vet rest day for him.

Hill and Waddle actually caught soft passes on the field between drills.


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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI 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 and the Dolphins team website. 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.