Dolphins open 2025 with a crowded first injury report, but only a few names appear in real jeopardy for Week 1 vs. Colts
Miami’s first injury report of the 2025 season is long. Surprise! But who do we need to actually worry about not dressing on Sunday from the list?
The Miami Dolphins are entering into the opening chapter of their 2025 regular season this Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. As is customary for a Sunday contest, the Dolphins dropped their first injury report of the season on Wednesday afternoon — highlighting the bumps, bruises, and ailments of Dolphins players after Wednesday’s practice. And, as you’ve probably come to expect with Miami’s injury reports in recent years, the list was…extensive.
We have never been more back than we are right now.
But not all injury reports are created equally — Miami has notoriously become an “over-documenting” team and that continued today with a notably longer list compared to Indianapolis. But how many of these names are going to be actual threats for game availability?
The Dolphins release first injury report of the season — who are we worried about?
Miami Dolphins’ Wednesday, September 3rd Injury Report
– CB Ethan Bonner – Hamstring (DNP)
– TE Darren Waller – Hip (DNP)
– RB Jaylen Wright – Knee (DNP)
– RB De’Von Achane – Calf (Limited)
– SAF Ashtyn Davis – Calf (Limited)
– WR Dee Eskridge – Concussion (Limited)
– WR Tyreek Hill – Oblique/Calf (Limited)
– OT Austin Jackson – Toe (Limited)
– CB Storm Duck – Hip (Full)
– TE Julian Hill – Shoulder (Full)
– SAF Ifeatu Melifonwu – Hamstring (Full)
– SAF Dante Trader Jr. – Hamstring (Full)
Who are we worried about out of this group? All of the full participants should be considered safe bets for availability if they have a role to play in Sunday’s game plan, although setbacks are always possible. The Dolphins just saw one of their AFC East rivals, the New York Jets, lose a starting offensive lineman for the season during practice this week. But the ailments for Storm Duck, Julian Hill, Ifeatu Melifonwu, and Dante Trader Jr. should be considered minimal threats. Someone like Trader Jr. could simply be inactive due to the active numbers crunch nonetheless.
Of the limited participants, we’ve heard already that Austin Jackson, Tyreek Hill, and De’Von Achane should have no issues being ready to go, barring setbacks. Given Dee Eskridge’s Wednesday participation for concussion protocol, he feels like a pretty good bet to have cleared his way back into availability as well.
That leaves Ashtyn Davis (calf, limited), Jaylen Wright (knee, DNP), Darren Waller (hip, DNP), and Ethan Bonner (hamstring, DNP).
Head coach Mike McDaniel has suggested already that a Week 1 timeline for Wright was probably ambitious. It’s likely safe to rule him out for Sunday against the Colts already. Davis is someone we may be looking to see if he progresses to full participation before the end of the week. If he’s limited all week, that may not be a great indicator after he missed most of training camp. Bonner’s hamstring injury was one suffered against Detroit in Miami’s second preseason game and McDaniel described that injury as a “weeks’ proposition — it’s likely he misses Sunday as well, especially with the other numbers available at cornerback.
Which brings us to Darren Waller. McDaniel, when asked about Waller on Wednesday, gave what appeared to be a very deliberate answer.
“We have not pressed the threshold of three days consecutive (with Darren Waller) intentionally. Tomorrow’s practice is third down followed by the red zone emphasis, so it was intentional for him. You won’t see him today, but that’s not because of a setback,” said McDaniel. “As we work through that and his assimilation back into professional football from the sofa, he’s done a great job protecting what we need him to protect, which is challenge himself to not put himself in harm’s way with overcooking. Fast guys love to show how fast they are, and you’re trying to have a long season vision.”
The Dolphins continue insist there’s no injury setback and this is all a part of their assimilation back into football. If that’s true, McDaniel has offered some clues that Miami may start him on a limited snap basis on the two phases that he’ll be practicing in tomorrow — third downs and in the red zone period. But McDaniel also alluded to a “long season vision” and talked about residual value that Waller brings while not practicing. So flip a coin there, your guess is as good as mine.
We’ll have to wait and see what the Friday injury report designation for Darren Waller offers. But as of right now, Miami’s long injury report appears to be a formality — and the only players we’ll need to be watching closely barring setbacks for Week 1 include Waller and safety Ashtyn Davis. The Dolphins’ other two non-participants are likely safe to scratch from Sunday’s plans. Everyone else? It’s likely on track for a lot of good news on Friday’s final injury report and Sunday’s game day inactive list.
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