Dolphins wideout Jakeem Grant will be placed on injured reserve after suffering an Achilles injury in Week 10, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
Grant didn’t suffer a ruptured Achilles, which would have required him to undergo a comprehensive operation that could have knocked him out for 10-12 months, per Salguero. Instead, Grant underwent a separate, less-invasive procedure which should allow him to return for 2019 training camp.
Grant, 26, took on a larger role in Week 8 due to injuries on the Dolphins’ receiver depth chart, managing eight targets while Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson were sidelined. Stills is now back in the fold, but Wilson has since been placed on injured reserve. Miami still has other options at the receiver position, however, including Danny Amendola, DeVante Parker, Leonte Carroo, and the recently-signed Brice Butler.
While Grant wasn’t a key player on offense, his loss will be strongly felt on special teams, where Grant was Miami’s No. 1 kick and punt returner. Grant had managed 16.3 yards per punt and 29.7 yards per return this season, both of which are among the best figures in the NFL. Additionally, Football Outsiders ranks the Dolphins’ punt return unit as the league’s second-most efficient, while the club is fourth in FO’s kick return metrics.