Two Starters Ruled Out with Concussion

Terron Armstead and cornerback Kendall Fuller will miss the Miami Dolphins' Monday night game against the Tennessee Titans

Miami Dolphins cornerback Kendall Fuller (29) catches the football during mandatory minicamp at Baptist Health Training Complex. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins will be without two, and likely three, key starters when they face the Tennessee Titans on Monday night.

Head coach Mike McDaniel said before practice Saturday that tackle Terron Armstead and cornerback Kendall Fuller would miss the game after each sustaining a concussion during the 24-3 loss against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3, and that he wasn't optimistic that linebacker David Long Jr. would be able to play because of a hamstring injury.

Armstead appeared to get injured on an 8-yard run by Jaylen Wright up the middle in the second quarter when he went down while making a block and put his hands to his face after the play. He stayed in the game, though, for two more plays. On the last one, he stonewalled defensive lineman Jarran Reed while Thompson was getting sacked but then came out and was replaced by Kenall Lamm.

It's unclear when Fuller was injured.

Missing the game Monday night will extend an unfortunate streak for Armstead, who has yet to play every game of a regular season since he entered the NFL with the New Orleans Saints in 2013. It will be the 12th regular season that Armstead has missed since joining the Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent in 2022 — four that first year, seven last season and now this one.

THE POSSIBLE STARTING REPLACEMENTS FOR THE DOLPHINS

Head coach Mike McDaniel declined to say who would start in the absences of Armstead and Fuller, though it wouldn't be a surprise if rookie second-round pick Patrick Paul got the nod at left tackle.

Lamm did replace Armstead in the lineup against Seattle and did start for him last season, but Paul is the left tackle of the future and this might be the right time to get him into the lineup.

As for the cornerback position, rookie free agent Storm Duck would appear to be first in line to replace Fuller because of the snap counts so far this season, but he wore a red jersey in practice Thursday and Friday while nursing a shoulder injury. The other options are veteran special teams standout Siran Neal and Ethan Bonner, though Neal is nursing a hamstring injury (he did practice Friday).

With Fuller out, the Dolphins also could elevate either veteran Nik Needham or rookie Isaiah Johnson from the practice squad.

At linebacker, the two options to replace Long would be veteran Anthony Walker Jr. and Duke Riley.