‘We’ve missed him’—Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley is cautiously optimistic about getting a key starter back soon
It’s hard not to feel the excitement from Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley as it relates to one of the team’s possible reinforcements returning to action.
When the Miami Dolphins finish their Week 4 contest against the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday, attention will shift to some administrative items alongside their prep for the Bengals.
Miami will have several decisions to make on players eligible to return from injury. None bring better pedigree than former first-round draft choice Kenneth Grant. Grant who suffered a lower body injury in August, ended up landing on injured reserve at roster cuts and has been shut down for the first four weeks of the season. But Grant is ramping himself back up now. And head coach Jeff Hafley’s hopes for the former first-rounder is hard to miss.
Jeff Hafley’s enthusiasm for a Kenneth Grant return is hard to miss for the Miami Dolphins
“I think he’s kind of grown a little bit impatient. He feels better. He’s eager to get going. He looks good right now. We’ve missed him, and that’s not a knock on anybody that’s out there, but we’ll be excited and hopeful that we’ll have him back sooner than later…Like I said, and this is being 100% real with you, he looks good right now. I just think I don’t want to give you a definitive “yeah” because let’s see – he’s got to practice and then let’s see how he looks when he practices and is he ready to play, so I don’t want to get my hopes up. Let’s just say he looks good right now and I like where he’s at, and we’ll see what he can do next week.”
— Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley on defensive tackle Kenneth Grant
The Dolphins’ rotation up front picking up another big body would likely do wonders for everyone. Things are pretty thin from a rotation standpoint, with Zach Sieler, Jordan Phillips, and Zeek Biggers manning all by 29 snaps by the defensive tackle room thus far this season. All three have played at least 100 snaps on the year, a hefty workload for the big guys up front.
Grant’s return will keep everyone fresher — and his athleticism could also provide some added juice on passing downs. Miami, of course, is the only team in the NFL without a sack through the first three weeks. Getting a first-round pick back in the mix, even as Grant tries to forge a strong reputation for himself, would presumably help. Hafley seems to think so, too. Yet as we’re nearing his return to action, Hafley remains guarded…just in case. Let’s hope all goes well.
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