With four Miami Dolphins players on the COVID-19 list and positive tests rampant throughout the league, has coach Brian Flores considered strongly encouraging his players to stay home when they’re not at team headquarters or games over the final month of the season?
Flores didn’t answer that specifically but said “we tell them to be smart, be safe. We understand we’re all living in a pandemic. There are a lot of things about COVID out of our control. Every decision they make or every place they go, we all should walk into where ever that is, market or store, understanding it’s out there and we have to take the right precautions.
“It’s a serious situation with hospitalizations and deaths. Nothing is more important to me than the health of our team. I take it seriously. The entire league takes it seriously. The entire country takes it seriously.”
Asked whether there’s frustration about asymptomatic players being forced to miss practice time (and potentially games) if they test positive, Flores said: “Any frustration there may or may not be, you have to compartmentalize that.”
Flores addressed other issues:
▪ He said Malcolm Brown will practice on Wednesday after missing six games with a quadriceps injury. He seems well positioned to come off injured reserve and help the Dolphins’ depleted running back group.
Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed and Phillip Lindsay are all on the COVID-19 list and need to have two negative tests spaced 24 hours apart — by 4 p.m. on Saturday — in order to play Sunday. Patrick Laird is on injured reserve with a sprained MCL and not eligible to return this week.
Flores declined to say whether Gaskin, Ahmed or Lindsay has produced a first negative test.
Duke Johnson – who has been elevated from the practice squad – would get a lot of work on Sunday if Gaskin, Ahmed and Lindsay cannot play.
“Duke played the one game against the Jets, has done a good job in practice,” Flores said. “He’s a professional, had a lot of production in this league. He always prepares as though he’s going to play.”
Can Tua Tagovailoa’s skill in the short-passing game help the depleted running game?
“I’m not sure those two things go together,” Flores said. “I don’t see much changing. The Jets have a really good front.”
▪ Austin Reiter, who started five games at center for the Dolphins, was released. Greg Mancz appears poised to come off injured reserve and would serve as Michael Deiter’s backup.
▪ The Dolphins’ situation at safety is in flux with Jevon Holland on the COVID-19 list and an elbow injury sidelining Brandon Jones the past two games.
“We’ll see Brandon at practice [Wednesday],” Flores said. “If he’s available [Sunday], he’ll be out there. Brandon is eager to get out there and play, rehabbing and training.”
Miami also has Eric Rowe, Will Parks and Clayton Fejedelem at safety.
“This is why we practice with guys at multiple positions,” Flores said. “We feel good about the guys in that room. “
▪ The Dolphins faced quarterback Joe Flacco the last time they played the Jets, a 24-17 Dolphins win on Nov. 21 in New Jersey.
The Dolphins will get Jets rookie Zach Wilson — the No. 2 overall pick in April’s draft – this Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.
“This a talented young player in this league,” Flores said of Wilson. “Big arm, mobile. He’s getting better every week. This is a player that’s ascending. Like any young player, there are some bumps. This will be a big challenge for us.”
Wilson has just a 65.3 passer rating, with six touchdowns and 11 interceptions in nine starts.
▪ Is there an unpredictability to playing a team not in playoff contention?
“Coach [Robert] Saleh will have his team ready to play. He’s a great motivator, great teacher of fundamentals and techniques.”
PRACTICE UPDATE: Tight end Hunter Long is not here; the reason will be revealed in mid-afternoon. DeVante Parker isn’t here; he is being given a rest/management day.