DOLPHINS FINALLY CAN HONOR SHULA

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stood on a stage and spent a few minutes running down a partial list of Don Shula’s accomplishments: two Super Bowl wins, more wins than any coach in NFL history and the only perfect season the league has ever seen.

And then Goodell, in one sentence, summed up Shula’s football life.

“He changed the game, and made it better in every way,” Goodell said.

Almost a year and a half after Shula died, the Dolphins finally held a public celebration of his life on Saturday, an event that couldn’t be held last year because of the pandemic. It was fitting that Miami chose this weekend for its Shula celebration and alumni reunion: The Dolphins on Sunday play host to the Indianapolis Colts, the other NFL team that Shula coached in his Hall of Fame career.

His 347 wins, including playoffs, is still unmatched for any coach in the league’s history; George Halas had 324 and New England coach Bill Belichick enters this weekend with 312.

“The league really didn’t find success until the mid’60s, around the time that Don Shula — just a few years after being named the youngest head coach in NFL history — started his streak of seven straight winning seasons with the Baltimore Colts,” Goodell said. “During his 26 years here in Miami, he put Miami and in large part the NFL on the sports map by establishing one of the great franchises.”

Shula coached the Dolphins

until 1995, though remained a larger-than-life figure around the franchise until his passing. His statue at the stadium is a weekly gathering place for Dolphins fans to pay tribute.

“It was an honor and privilege for me to get to speak to him and get some insight from him about coaching and about helping guys become the best version of themselves from a preparation standpoint, and then take the things that they learned from football on the field and use it outside of football when they’re done to help them attain success in other areas,” Dolphins coach Brian Flores said.

Notable

Buccaneers TE Rob Gronkowski will miss his return trip to New England with a rib injury. Gronkowski was downgraded to out by the team and did not travel with the Super Bowl champs for tonight’s matchup with the Patriots.

• The Bears say rookie quarterback Justin Fields will start against the Lions today. The team listed Andy Dalton as doubtful.

• The Packers announced they placed WR

Marquez Valdes-scantling on injured reserve and elevated WR Equanimeous St. Brown from the practice squad to the active roster.

• The Ravens activated RB Le’veon Bell from the practice squad and put DE

Derek Wolfe on IR.

• The Colts placed threetime All-pro LG Quenton Nelson on IR, a move that will keep him out at least three weeks.