Armstead working to play Week 2 despite 3 injuries
MIAMI GARDENS — Terron Armstead missed the first Dolphins game of this season due to back, ankle and knee injuries. So, which one was most problematic?
"Combination,"
Wednesday.
Armstead returned to practice on Wednesday in a red noncontact jersey but seemed to be moving relatively well.
On Thursday, he seemed to take another step forward, participating without limitations and making contact in drills.
"We're working to try to get ready, get healthy and get closer to being back out there full time," Armstead said.
Armstead hopes to return to play on Sunday at New England.
The Dolphins survived at the Chargers,
Armstead said
as backup Kendall Lamm flourished.
But Armstead is Miami's best and most important offensive lineman.
"When players always want to play, we obviously want them to play," Miami coach Mike McDaniel said of the decision to hold him out of the opener. "But there's some, I don't know, gut feeling that he might have to resort to a style of play just to get through. I don't think that's fair to him or his teammates."
How Armstead plays through them
Armstead played well despite hardly practicing at all in 2022, the first year of a free agent contract.
How did he do that?
"I'm doing a lot more film study, understanding my limitations physically, and then my off-the-field preparation as well with the strength staff and the training staff to make sure that I'm ready to roll," Armstead said.
McDaniel made the decision to have
Armstead stay behind and rehabilitate instead of traveling more than five hours each way to California.
"I was at home alone," Armstead said of last Sunday. "No distractions. I was locked in. It was weird. It is tough. Especially like right before kickoff. The adrenaline. I don't even get nervous. I just like had some nerves for some reason. Then we kicked off and settled in."
Armstead noted that since he hasn't had football repetitions in about a month, he needs to get into game-playing shape.
"Get my hands right, my timing right, my communication right with the guys," Armstead said. "You never know without doing it so I have to get in there and get active.”
Joe Schad is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on social media platforms @schadjoe.