The 2-6 Miami Dolphins are rapidly running out of time to make a playoff push and need a win in their Week 10 Monday night matchup vs. the Los Angeles Rams.
Below are the latest injury updates on some of Miami’s key offensive stars.
WR Tyreek Hill
Updated at 11:30 AM ET on Sunday, December 8
Hill is active for today's game.
The reigning receiving-yardage leader is in danger of missing his first game of 2024. The Dolphins officially listed Hill as questionable with a wrist injury for Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams after head coach Mike McDaniel on Saturday was noncommittal about the veteran wide receiver playing.
Hill aggravated a wrist injury he suffered in the preseason. After practicing fully with no injury designation on Thursday, Hill missed practice on both Friday and Saturday. Speaking to ESPN’s Lisa Salters, Hill revealed that he’ll play despite a torn ligament.
Tyreek expects to play but has torn ligament in wrist, Lisa Salters says. Says injury reaggravated when arrested, causing "further damage"
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) November 11, 2024
This makes sense given what Hill’s agent Drew Rosenhaus said earlier in the week, as he suggested that Hill could opt for season-ending surgery should the Dolphins fall out of contention.
That option could arrive should Miami fall to 2-7, but it’s reassuring that the Dolphins will likely have their top weapon available on Monday.
WR Jaylen Waddle
Jaylen Waddle was not on the injury report this week, good news after he was knocked out of the Dolphins’ last game vs. the Buffalo Bills temporarily. Waddle was on the injury report as recently as Week 8 with a quad injury, but he has played in every game this season.
Waddle battled various ailments and missed three games last season but has largely stayed healthy throughout his four-year career. However, he’s found it difficult to maintain production within Miami’s inconsistent offensive environment. Waddle is averaging a career-low 38.8 receiving yards per game entering Monday, and he has not even reached 50 receiving yards since the season opener.
Even in games with Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback, Waddle has been targeted on 14.3% of his routes and averaged under 48 receiving yards per game. For context, that would rank outside the top 100 among wide receivers in target rate this season.
QB Tua Tagovailoa
The Dolphins’ starting quarterback is thankfully healthy after suffering his third diagnosed concussion back in Week 2 vs. the Buffalo Bills. Tua Tagovailoa missed four games on injured reserve but returned in Week 8 and has boosted the Miami offense in the meantime.
The Dolphins have scored 27 points in each of Tua’s two games since he returned from his concussion. Miami did not eclipse 20 points in any of its first six games of the season. From Weeks 8-9, the Dolphins ranked second in points per drive behind only the Buffalo Bills.
Here’s hoping Tagovailoa has found a more sustainable path moving forward to protect his short- and long-term health.
RB De’Von Achane
The Dolphins’ second-year running back has become the clear lead back after a timeshare with Raheem Mostert last season. De’Von Achane has managed to play all eight games this year after missing six games in 2023.
Achane did suffer a concussion in the team’s Week 5 game vs. the New England Patriots, but he had the fortune of a bye the following week and cleared concussion protocol before the team’s next game in Week 7.
On the season, Achane has averaged 36.1 snaps per game, up from 26.0 as a rookie. His efficiency has also rebounded after a rough start. Since Week 5, Achane ranks first in rushing success rate (52.5%) and second in yards per rush (6.4), trailing only Jahmyr Gibbs in the latter category.
RB Raheem Mostert
Raheem Mostert is not on the Week 10 injury report, putting him in line to suit up for his fifth straight game.
Mostert missed three straight games from Weeks 2-4 with a chest injury. That matches the total number of games he missed during his first two seasons with Miami from 2022-23 combined.
The 10th-year back has taken a backseat to Achane in 2024, reaching the end zone only twice. That comes after Mostert set the Dolphins’ single-season records in both total touchdowns scored (21) and rushing touchdowns (18) in 2023.