Former UM standout signed to practice squad

It is possible that Duke Johnson could end his NFL career playing in is hometown.

Johnson, the former University of Miami standout who holds the school’s all-time rushing yards record, signed with the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday, joining the team’s practice squad.

Johnson, a six-year NFL veteran who has started 17 of the 91 games he’s played in his career, was needed because of the quadriceps injury Malcolm Brown suffered in Sunday’s 30-28 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

With My les Ga skin and Sal von Ahmed as the only tailbacks on the 53-man roster for at least the next three weeks, which is how long Brown must remain on injured reserve, the Dolphins will either elevate Patrick Laird or rookie Ger rid Doaks up from the practice squad.

That decision is pending, and likely will be based on who performs the best in practice. Doaks, a former University of Cincinnati standout whom the Dolphins used a 2021 seventh-round pick to select, is known as a better inside runner. Laird, who is in his third season with the Dolphins, is known as a pass-catching specialist and special teams contributor.

The Dolphins decision-makers apparently felt the roster would benefit from having another veteran, one with a diverse skill-set.

Johnson is a multi-faceted tailback who has gained 1,931 rushing yards (4.2 yards per carry) and scored eight touchdowns on his 459 carries. He’s also caught 307 passes, turning those receptions into 2,829 yards and another 12 touchdowns. He also has experience as a kickoff returner in the NFL.

Players on the practice squad can be called up to the 53-man roster at least twice before Miami would need to add them to the 53-man roster permanently. It’s possible that a practice squad player can be elevated more than twice, but that comes into play when/ if an NFL team has a player placed on the COVID-19 reserve list.

Johnson, 28, has been out of work since he was released from the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad in mid-September, but he had a number of tryouts.

Last season he turned 77 carries into 235 rushing yards and one touchdown, and caught another 28 passes for 249 yards and one touchdown as a member of the Houston Texans.

During his UM career the 5-foot-9, 206-pound tailback rushed for 3,519 yards and and 26 touchdowns. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry before leaving the Hurricanes to join the NFL after his junior season.

NAM Y. HUH/AP Duke Johnson, right, shown while with the Texans, is chased by the Bears’ Eddie Jackson during a game in 2020.