MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — It wasn’t until early March that Miami Dolphins tackle Terron Armstead even was sure he wanted to play again in 2024.
But a healthy and rejuvenated Armstead returned to Dolphins HQ this week talking about great possibilities of not just this year — but perhaps even beyond.
Miami Dolphins OT Terron Armstead 2024 Outlook
“My approach, my mindset [is] it’s definitely going to be my best season,” Armstead told reporters Wednesday. “I’m looking forward to having an All-Pro year. Locked in, throwing people out the stadium, going crazy. That’s our mindset up front.”
Real talk or wishful thinking?
It all depends, as always, on Armstead’s health. Ability and productivity have never been his problem. Availability has.
Various injuries have kept Armstead out of 11 of 34 regular season games since joining the Dolphins before the 2022 season.
His 524 offensive snaps in 2023 were just the sixth-most among Dolphins linemen and the fourth-fewest of his 11-year career — which is all the more concerning given the schedule is now 17 games, not 16 as was the case even five years ago.
Armstead’s health weighed on him enough that he debated retirement before the season. And even when he decided to return, the Dolphins applied stipulations.
Armstead, who turns 33 next month, agreed to a $4.25 million reduction in his 2024 salary as a condition of his return to the Dolphins this season. The new deal includes a $7.3 million signing bonus and $10 million in guarantees. Armstead also agreed to two void years — in 2027 and 2028. His 2025 and 2026 salaries — $13.3 million and $12.3 million, respectively — were not changed in the adjustment.
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Still, good luck finding anyone in the building who thinks the Dolphins are a better team without him than they are with him.
“Great veteran,” Dolphins offensive line coach Butch Barry said this week. “Obviously still can play at an extremely high level and a guy that has leadership skills for the whole team, not just the unit.
“And then now you see guys within the unit that he helped kind of mentor and lead — now they’re taking more leadership roles on and mentoring, you know, this new group of young players that we have. So, I think that leadership extends long and wide, and it’s pretty impressive to see.”
Armstead said he would “miss this game too much” if he retired now, and he believes the team has unfinished business after losing in the playoffs the last two seasons.
Asked what he’s doing to ensure he can play a full, healthy season for the first time in his career, Armstead replied:
“The only thing I can do is control what I can control. … Nutrition, mobility, flexibility, strengthening. Everything science tells you and putting my best foot forward. I go out there and play with physicality and violence, we’re going to let it roll like that.”
He added: “The durability has been my Achilles heel, it’s been my issue. But me as a professional and as I pour everything into my game, that’s just what I do for a living. I try to check all boxes, for sure. But [when] you get landed on from behind while you’re pass-blocking, there’s no yoga class that’s going to prevent that. You know what I mean? Do everything that I can to be ready and I will for sure, and then we play football.”