Dolphins Among Teams Comfortable Adding Players With Medical Risks And It's Showing
There was a time the Miami Dolphins deferred probably too much to the opinions of their doctors as they were considering adding players. It's the reason Drew Brees ended up with the New Orleans Saints instead of the Dolphins.
But that has changed over the years in Miami.
The Dolphins are now more open to adding players with injury histories. That's not a this year thing, but rather has been the case for the past few years. The Dolphins have trusted that players with histories of battling injuries are worth betting on.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - DECEMBER 31: Bradley Chubb #2 of the Miami Dolphins is helped to a cart after an apparent injury during an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Miami Dolphins at M&T Bank Stadium on December 31, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Dolphins List Of Injury Gambles Is Extensive
And so Miami has been comfortable drafting, signing or trading for ...
Tua Tagovailoa.
Terron Armstead.
Jaylen Waddle.
Bradley Chubb.
Raheem Mostert.
Connor Williams.
Jaelan Phillips.
Sometimes the additions have worked out. Sometimes the risk has not been quite so manageable. In a couple of instances, including with Tagovailoa, Chubb, Phillips, Williams and Mostert, there's been some of the good and some very painful bad.
So as the team heads into the playoffs for the second consecutive season, it's doing so diminished by significant injuries. And it's noticeable.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 24: Members of the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets stand around a cart as Jaelan Phillips #15 of the Dolphins is helped onto a cart after being injured on a play against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter in the game at MetLife Stadium on November 24, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
Jaelan Phillips, Once Medically Retired, Out For Season
"They lost five linebackers this season and three in the last week," Dr. David Chao, an OutKick contributor, said Thursday. "Jaelan Phillips earlier, then Chubb. Then Andrew Van Ginkel, Cameron Goode and Jerome Baker. They've lost a lot of edge rushers."
The Dolphins enter Saturday's playoff game at the Kansas City Chiefs with the second-lowest health score Dr. Chao has assigned the 12 teams playing during Super Wild Card Weekend at his Sports Injury Central website. Only the Pittsburgh Steelers score lower.
It's the second consecutive year the Dolphins limp into the playoffs. Last year they went into a wild card round loss to the Buffalo Bills without Tagovailoa at quarterback, without guard Liam Eichenberg, and without Mostert as their starting running back.
And this begs the question whether the Dolphins, who in that fateful and flawed Brees decision deferred to their doctor, have now allowed the pendulum to swing too far in the other direction?
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 29: Defensive end Michael Brockers #90 of the Los Angeles Rams leaves the field with the team orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the field after he was injured in the second half of the game against the Arizona Cardinals at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 29, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Different Team Doctors Wield Different Power
To figure this out one has to understand how team doctors affect club decisions when adding players.
"The dynamics of a team doctor and their relationship to the team is no different than when certain coordinators have say in personnel, and certain other coordinators have zero say in personnel," Dr. Chao, who served as the Chargers team doctor for 17 years, said. "... In general and throughout my time, it depended on my relationship with the decision-maker and how much input the decision-maker wanted."
Many folks believe team doctors wield the power to wave teams off certain players by simply reporting their poor medical histories and poor medical scores. That's not always the case.
"I rarely told a team, can't draft him or can't sign him," Dr. Chao said. "What I would tell them was if the player was a high injury risk. For example, I had a GM once tell me, 'You're going to see a guy today, don't worry about his knees he's a really good player.'
"I said, 'OK, I won't worry but I do have to tell him.' And the answer was, 'Yeah, he gets worried about his knees so don't make the knee that big of a deal.' "
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - DECEMBER 31: Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins looks on during the national anthem prior to an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Miami Dolphins at M&T Bank Stadium on December 31, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Dolphins Comfortable With Injury Risk
Dr. Chao said he gave the player a bad medical grade. The Chargers signed him anyway.
And he was injured at the end of the season.
"Now if they've got a neck condition where they're going to be paralyzed or a heart condition where they're unable to play football, I'd absolutely fail them," Dr. Chao said. "But I'd say certain teams, depending on the decision-makers, they're afraid to go against the doctors on big things.
"And other teams do what they intend to do."
It's fair to say the Dolphins lately fall in the latter category. They drafted Tagovailoa, for example, despite his injury history in Alabama that included ankle, hand and hip injuries.
Last year Tagovailoa missed games because of two concussions. This season he has played all 17 regular season games for the first time in his career.
So the Dolphins are obviously implicitly comfortable accepting risk.
And that risk sometimes hurts, particularly at season's end when the roster seems a shell of itself.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 07: Xavien Howard #25 of the Miami Dolphins looks on during the second half of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on January 07, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Xavien Howard Out For Dolphins
That's the Dolphins now to a degree. Last week, as they played the Bills for the AFC title, the Dolphins were without players that represented approximately $44 million in salary cap space.
This week the club will play the Chiefs without starting cornerback Xavien Howard (foot).
It should be noted Howard came out of Baylor with a knee injury history. The Dolphins drafted him in the second round because they believed his great talent was worth the risk. Then he injured his knee in his first training camp and missed much of his rookie season.
The knee was a concern in 2018 and 2019 but despite that the team signed Howard to a contract extension in '19 and added a incentive and other raises in 2021 before giving him a whopping new $90 million deal before 2022.
Howard's knee hasn't been the issue lately. But he is about to miss his fifth game this season anyway.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 07: Raheem Mostert #31 of the Miami Dolphins looks on prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on January 07, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
Dolphins Added Mostert Knowing Medical History
Safety Jevon Holland (knees) who has not practiced all week, and Mostert, who has missed the past two games with knee and ankle issues, are questionable and probably day-of-game decisions for the Chiefs game.
Mostert, it should be noted, came to the Dolphins last season with an extensive injury history. He was on injured reserve in 2017, 2018, 2020 and in 2021suffered a knee injury in the season opener that ended his season.
So will the Dolphins continue to push the proverbial envelope and keep adding players despite past extensive medical histories? Their success (or lack of it) on Saturday against the Chiefs might decide.
Because winning on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions would suggest the risk comes with significant reward.
But a loss would just as strongly suggest that limping into the playoffs and failing there two years in a row is ultimately not a winning strategy.
Other injuries to monitor ahead of Wild Card Weekend:
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 08: Jared Goff #16 and Sam LaPorta #87 of the Detroit Lions celebrate after scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Ford Field on October 08, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Don't Expect Sam LaPorta In Lions Lineup
Lions TE Sam LaPorta (Knee) -- The rookie has been a revelation this season but he sustained a significant knee injury in the season-finale against Minnesota. Coach Dan Campbell said it's not as bad as it looked but it's not good.
LaPorta seemed optimistic on Thursday when he told reporters he caught passes from quarterback Jared Goff.
But LaPorta did not actually practice and Dr. Chao doesn't expect him to play against the Los Angeles Rams, despite the fact Campbell has said he has an outside shot to play.
"Yeah, I got an outside shot of winning the lottery but I guess I have to buy a ticket first, too," Dr. Chao said. "I mean, can he be back these playoffs? I think so. But this week it's not going to happen. Could he be limited next week? Maybe."
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 07: Kalif Raymond #11 of the Detroit Lions returns a punt against NaJee Thompson #11 of the Minnesota Vikings during the first half of a game at Ford Field on January 07, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
Lions Speedy Raymond Not Expected To Play
Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond (Knee): He also missed practice Wednesday and Thursday.
Dr. Chao believes he's nursing a right PCL strain that is in some respects "is worse than LaPorta."
Dr. Chao does not expect Raymond to play against the Rams.