Don’t look now, but the Dolphins are being forced to turn to their fifth option in 2025 to fill a key defensive role amid more injuries
As if this position room wasn’t already ugly enough for the Miami Dolphins.
The football gods are showing no mercy to the Miami Dolphins. After a wildly ambitious offseason plan at cornerback, Miami eventually caved and signed several veteran players in the final few weeks before the start of the 2025 season. And it’s a good thing they have. Because the injury bug has hit this group hard, and it is continuing to gnaw and Miami’s secondary.
The latest development is one that taxes Miami’s middle-of-the-field coverage further. The Dolphins, as revealed this afternoon by head coach Mike McDaniel, are down to their fifth option to play in the nickel.
Dolphins defensive back Cornell Armstrong is set to miss “some time” as latest nickel defender to bite the dust
“Cornell (Armstrong) will miss some time with a hamstring.”
— Mike McDaniel on Monday afternoon
Neat! That now makes three preferred options at the position out for periods of time, if not the season. Remember — cornerback Kader Kohou was supposed to fill this role in a contract year after three seasons of playing in Miami as a hit in undrafted free agency. Then it was Jason Marshall Jr. who was converted from outside corner to seize the role in the second week of the preseason. He garnered enough support to see the team waive veteran nickel defender Mike Hilton, who was signed the day Kohou went down with an ACL injury.
Marshall Jr. went down with an injury against Buffalo in Week 3 that landed him on injured reserve, giving way to Armstrong as the nickel. He played 23 snaps against the Panthers on Sunday before his own injury arose.
Miami Dolphins secondary injuries thus far in 2025
- Cornerback Kader Kohou (torn ACL)
- Cornerback Artie Burns (torn ACL)
- Cornerback Storm Duck (Ankle)
- Cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. (Hamstring)
- Cornerback Cornell Armstrong (Hamstring)
Now? The Dolphins will presumably be calling upon a third safety for the time being. Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas are entrenched as the starters outside. That leaves JuJu Brents, Ethan Bonner, and an injured Storm Duck as the other available options. None is a great fit in the nickel.
Minkah Fitzpatrick could feasibly seize the role full-time or play interchangeably with Ifeatu Melifonwu or rookie Dante Trader Jr. Perhaps Miami will tap into free agency for another veteran corner. But the options are limited at best. Either way, the Dolphins are down to their fifth option at nickel corner between the injuries and the decision to waive Mike Hilton back at the end of the preseason.
When it rains, it pours. South Florida is known for its heavy downpours, I suppose.
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