Miami Dolphins running back Jeff Wilson Jr. was ruled out before kickoff due to a knee injury sustained in warmups, as announced by the team. The veteran back did not appear on the injury report this week, so this appears to be a new injury.
What Happened to Jeff Wilson Jr.?
Wilson was not immediately ruled out, as he was initially listed as questionable. However, he was reportedly ruled out shortly thereafter. The injury occurred after game-day inactives were due, so Wilson technically remains an active player, even though he won’t participate.
Injury Update | Jeff Wilson Jr. sustained a knee injury in pregame warmups. He is questionable for the game.
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 30, 2024
If Wilson remains out, De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright are the only healthy running backs on the Dolphins’ active roster for tonight.
However, Dolphins reporter Chris Perkins reported during the game that Wilson at least had his helmet in hand. There was no indication that he was planning to enter the game, but that does at least bode well for the long-term severity of Wilson’s knee injury.
Jeff Wilson has helmet in hand, which is good sign. He's flexing his right leg as though that's the issue https://t.co/5h9pOYb4cL
— Chris Perkins (@chrisperk) October 1, 2024
Fantasy Impact for Wilson and the Dolphins
Wilson has not been a significant contributor this season, as he has eight carries for 40 yards this season. However, that technically made him the second-leading rusher on the team behind Achane, so it was possible that he would have seen a few carries in relief on Monday.
Instead, expect Achane to see a massive workload. Entering Monday, he accounted for 55.8% of the Dolphins’ rushing attempts, which ranked 15th in the NFL. That total could conceivably be even higher with Miami likely to lean on its running backs with Tyler Huntley making his first start for the team.
Wilson’s injury also provides an opportunity for the rookie Wright to demonstrate some of his explosiveness. Wright has only had seven carries for 21 yards this season entering Monday night but could eclipse that total in a single game given the lack of other healthy options in the backfield.