Timmons had been solid
LB exuded reliable reputation before mystifying absence
DAVIE — Lawrence Timmons had spent his previous 10 seasons in the NFL establishing himself as a leader off the field and a pillar of consistency on it, making the Dolphins linebacker’s disappearance from the team Saturday all the more surprising. His mysterious unexcused absence not only ended a streak of starting 101 games when he was held out of the Dolphins’ 19-17 win at the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday — it put his future with his new team in jeopardy.
That uncertainty was underscored Monday when Dolphins coach Adam Gase declined to say whether he expects the 31-year-old Timmons to be on the team moving forward. Gase offered no new information about Timmons’ situation but did say he only has two rules: “Be on time and play hard.”
Asked about his level of tolerance when those rules are violated, Gase said: “What do you think? I’ve got two rules. It’s not hard.”
Sunday was to be Timmons’ regular-season debut with the Dolphins after signing a two-year contract for $12 million in March. The former Florida State standout from Florence, S.C., had played in 120 consecutive games with the Pittsburgh Steelers before becoming a free agent this offseason.
Timmons hopes to rejoin the Dolphins this week, league sources told the Sentinel, and he was expected to meet with Gase on Monday. But when the coach spoke to reporters mid-afternoon, Gase said he didn't know if Timmons was in the building.
“I'm kind of dealing with the guys that played,” Gase said.
Timmons' abrupt departure from the team was characterized as “a private matter ... of a personal nature” by his agent Drew Rosenhaus in a television interview Sunday night.
When the Dolphins were unable to locate Timmons on Saturday night, the team filed a missing person's report with police in Los Angeles, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to the Sentinel. According to TMZ, police found Timmons at LAX early Sunday morning getting ready to board a flight to Pennsylvania to go see family.
ESPN reported that the linebacker was scheduled to meet with doctors on Monday.
Although Timmons' disappearance remains mystifying, it's not without precedent in Dolphins history. During training camp in 1992, nose tackle Alfred Oglesby made up a story about being kidnapped by two armed men and abandoned in the Everglades so he could escape punishment for breaking curfew and missing practice.
Oglesby later admitted he had overslept after staying out late drinking at a nude bar.
Teammates taped Oglesby to a tree outside the team dormitory at St. Thomas University and left him there for 30 minutes as penance. He was cut from the team later in the season, a football decision unrelated to his truancy.
Monday, Dolphins players expressed surprise and bewilderment about Timmons going AWOL on the eve of their season opener, which was delayed a week due to Hurricane Irma. Several spoke of him as a team leader, a reliable veteran to look up to.
“I'm trying to think of the best word to describe him: He's tenacious,” safety Michael Thomas said.
“He's always running to the ball, always making the play. Always uplifting, bringing other guys along. He's been one of the best teammates.”
Those who spoke about him Monday said there was no indication leading up to the game that anything was amiss with Timmons, who was expected to be a key cog on defense for the Dolphins this season.
“It caught everyone off guard. He was doing so well, there weren't any signs at all,” center Mike Pouncey said.
Chase Allen, the undrafted rookie who was thrust into his first NFL start due to Timmons' absence said, “He had a great week of practice.”
Despite the bind Timmons left them in, with only four linebackers Sunday, teammates said they would have no trouble welcoming Timmons back.
“We won't turn our back on anybody, regardless of the situation,” Pouncey said. “Obviously, we don't know the full extent of everything.
“You just hope that he's doing OK and he's fine and he's coming back ready to play some football.”
Just last week, Gase spoke of Timmons' quiet leadership in the locker room.
“He doesn't say a whole bunch but the way he operates and the way he goes about his business, I think guys respect that and understand why he's been in the league so long and why he's been so successful,” Gase said Thursday.