Pouncey ‘can’t wait to get started’ again

DAVIE — Sunday’s 30-12 loss to Pittsburgh in an AFC wildcard game wasn’t the ending Mike Pouncey would have liked, but the Dolphins’ veteran center said Monday he couldn’t be prouder of his teammates and the way they played following a 1-4 start.

“The way we started off, we got a chance to get going and prove a lot of people wrong,” said Pouncey, who played five games this season because of a hip injury and was placed on injured reserve Dec. 13.

“It was the first playoff game in my career. It was great to be out there. The atmosphere was crazy.”

Pouncey has had a relatively injury-free NFL career since being drafted by the Dolphins with the 15th overall pick in 2011.

Prior to this season, he started 72 of a possible 80 games. But he missed the first four games in 2016 with ongoing hip trouble, and didn’t play in the final eight games.

Pouncey said Monday he feels fine, and he looks forward to getting back to work.

“Injuries are a part of this game, but I feel great right now,” he said.

“I know I’m healthy. I’ll be healthy in a minute or so. It was tough the way the season played out. I didn’t want it to go that way. But I got to see this thing from a differ- ent perspective and watch these guys work. It was just amazing to see.

“I’m ready for the offseason. I’m going to attack it just like I do any offseason. I can’t wait to get started.”

Pouncey will enter his seventh NFL season in 2017, and said Monday he plans to stick around for awhile.

“I a i n’ t r e t i r i n g f o r 1 0 years,” he said.