Waddle, Lindsay activated; new name added to COVID list
Fuller likely done for season
The Miami Dolphins are getting two offensive playmakers back off the reserve/ COVID-19 list for their final three-game stretch of the regular season after playing without them in Sunday’s 31-24 win over the New York Jets.
The Dolphins activated wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and running back Phillip Lindsay after both missed Sunday’s game, Dolphins coach Brian Flores said in a Monday web conference.
Waddle returns with his 86 receptions for 849 yards. He is still on pace to break Anquan Boldin’s NFL rookie receptions record (101) despite missing a game. The NFL added a regular-season game to the schedule this season, so Waddle can still get the record in the traditional 16 games played.
Lindsay had 12 carries for 42 yards in his debut with the Dolphins, the Nov. 28 win against the Carolina Panthers after being claimed off waivers from the Houston Texans. Lindsay then was held out of the following week’s game against the New York Giants due to an ankle injury. Then, he landed on the COVID list following Miami’s bye week that preceded Sunday’s game.
The return of Waddle and Lindsay brings another layer of reinforcements to the Dolphins offense after Miami also signed running back Duke Johnson to the active roster on Monday following the former Miami Hurricanes star’s career game of 107 rushing yards and two touchdowns on Sunday.
While the Dolphins established a season high in rushing of 183 yards, they also only threw for 196 yards without Waddle, as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had an uneven performance. He was intercepted twice, once for a touchdown.
Flores also said rookie safety Jevon Holland has not yet cleared league COVID protocols, so he still cannot return to the team to practice. Holland was activated off the COVID list on Saturday ahead of the 4 p.m. deadline in case he could clear protocols for Sunday’s game, but since he wasn’t able to, Holland was one of Miami’s inactive players against the Jets. Keeping him off the COVID list while he’s unavailable merely costs the Dolphins a spot on the 53-man roster until he is eligible to be activated.
While getting two players back from the COVID list, the Dolphins placed cornerback Justin Coleman on it on Monday, the team announced. Coleman played 63% of Miami’s defensive snaps on Sunday against the Jets.
Along with Johnson, the Dolphins also signed safety Sheldrick Redwine, a fellow Miami Hurricanes alum, to the active roster from the practice squad. It’s Redwine’s second full-time stint on the Dolphins’ 53-man roster. Since getting waived and rejoining the team on the practice squad, he was elevated three times — once as a COVID19 replacement. Miami also waived safety Will Parks on Monday.
Fuller likely out for season
Every week since Dolphins wide receiver Will Fuller became eligible to be activated off injured reserve following his Oct. 3 finger injury suffered in a loss to the Indianapolis Colts, Flores has taken it a week at a time with his comments on Fuller’s availability.
On Monday, Flores finally revealed Fuller will likely miss the remainder of the season.
“Will’s had some setbacks during his rehab,” Flores said. “I don’t expect him this week, and I don’t expect him back this season.”
Fuller signed a one-year, $10.6 million deal with the Dolphins in the offseason. He played one full game, Sept. 26 at the Las Vegas Raiders, and a quarter against the Colts before getting injured. Fuller also missed the opener at the New England Patriots serving the final game of his PED suspension stemming from his time with the Houston Texans the previous season and was out Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills for personal reasons.
Fuller had four receptions for 26 yards, plus a successful 2-point conversion catch this year for the Dolphins.
Running back situation
With Johnson now on the 53-man roster and making a strong case to be the Dolphins’ new lead back, coupled with Lindsay’s activation, the Dolphins have a crowded running back room.
Myles Gaskin, who has led the team in rushing this season, still had 10 carries for 54 yards — mostly on a 30-yard rush on Miami’s game-winning drive — in spelling Johnson on Sunday.
Gaskin revealed Monday he did feel sick early in his COVID stint. When he started feeling better, he ran by himself at a park close to his home on Thursday before he was able to return for Friday practice.
“I just made sure I was ready, locked in on the game plan so when my number was called, I was ready to go out there,” Gaskin said.
While fellow running back Salvon Ahmed was also activated off the COVID list on Friday, he did not play against the Jets.
“Just came off of COVID, and we only had three backs,” Flores said Monday. “That combined with Duke was running it well, Myles was running it well. That’s kind of how it goes.”
Fellow running back Malcolm Brown could return from injured reserve this week after he practiced all last week but was not activated Saturday ahead of the Jets game. The Dolphins can keep him on IR and practicing for two more weeks if they so choose. Flores said Brown will continue to practice ahead of facing the Saints on Monday Night Football next week.
“We’ll see how that goes,” Flores said.