Dolphins To Sign OLB Tyus Bowser Off Seahawks’ Practice Squad
In need of healthy depth along the edge, the Dolphins are set to make an addition. Tyus Bowser is being signed off the Seahawks’ practice squad, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
Jaelan Phillips is out for the season due to a knee injury. Especially since Bradley Chubb has yet to return to the lineup, Miami is particularly thin along the edge as things stand. Bowser could provide at least a rotational presence as he aims to carve out a full-time role in 2024. The 29-year-old missed all of last season, but he managed a pair of appearances with Seattle this year.
Bowser took a Seahawks taxi squad deal to reunite with head coach Mike Macdonald after the two worked together in Baltimore. That move came about just after roster cutdowns and allowed him to try and rebuild his value while handling a rotational role. Used as a gameday elevation in Weeks 3 and 4, the former second-rounder logged 38 defensive snaps with Seattle. As Schefter’s colleague Brady Henderson noted earlier today, Bowser had his practice squad deal terminated to allow him to land with a new team.
By taking a contract with Miami, Bowser will join defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. The latter served as a key member of the Ravens’ defensive staff from 2021-23, providing some overlap with the former’s playing time in Baltimore. Weaver took the Dolphins’ DC gig this offseason, and Bowser – who recorded 19.5 sacks in 89 Ravens games – will give him a familiar face to work with as the team tries to fill the vacancy created by Phillips’ injury. Bowser has considerable experience not only defending the run but also dropping into coverage, especially compared to the skillsets of rookies Chop Robinson and Mohamed Kamara.
That versatility could help the Houston product earn a notable workload over the coming weeks. Robinson and Emmanuel Ogbah are positioned to handle first-team reps along the edge, and Chubb will factor heavily into the team’s rotation once he is healthy. A veteran of 24 starts (one of which came with the Seahawks as they dealt with their own pass-rushing injury troubles), Bowser could nevertheless see meaningful playing time through the remainder of the season. Doing so would help Miami’s defense and boost his market value in the process.
Dolphins’ Jaelan Phillips To Undergo Season-Ending Knee Surgery
Jaelan Phillips has once again run into injury trouble which will cut his season short. The fourth-year Dolphins edge rusher announced on Wednesday he will miss the remainder of the campaign. 
Phillips’ statement notes he suffered a knee injury during Miami’s Week 4 loss on Monday night. As Rapoport detailed in a subsequent report, Phillips sustained a partially-torn ACL, which will require reconstructive surgery and set him up for another lengthy rehab process that will hopefully allow him to be ready for the start of the 2025 campaign. As a result, the Dolphins will be without one of their top defenders the rest of this season while attempting to rebound from a 1-3 start.
Medical red flags were present when Phillips entered the NFL, but he did not miss any time during his first two seasons. That situation changed last year when the former first-rounder suffered an Achilles tear on Black Friday. Phillips was limited to eight games as a result, and his promising campaign came to an abrupt end. As expected, he was back to full strength in time for the start of the 2024 slate, but in short order he has once again been sidelined by a major injury.
The UCLA and Miami product had an encouraging rookie campaign, notching 8.5 sacks. He followed that up with seven one year later and 6.5 (before the injury) last season, leading to high expectations for his production in 2024. Phillips, 25, managed only one sack and a pair of pressures before going down, but his absence will still be acutely felt on a Dolphins team dealing with key injuries at a number of positions.
Of course, Miami’s edge contingent has been without Bradley Chubb so far this season. The two-time Pro Bowler remains on the PUP list as he rehabs the ACL tear which ended his 2023 campaign. With the first four weeks of the season in the books, Chubb is eligible to return to practice and be activated at any time. It remains to be seen, however, when the former Bronco will be healthy enough to suit up. Without Chubb (for the time being) and Phillips for the season’s remainder, Miami will rely on the likes of veteran Emmanuel Ogbah and rookies Chop Robinson and Mohamed Kamara along the edge.
The Dolphins picked up Phillips’ 2025 fifth-year option, tying him to a salary of $13.3MM that year. A long-term deal loomed as a logical path for the team to take given his early production, but back-to-back injuries creating lengthy absences will no doubt affect Miami’s approach to negotiations on that front. Phillips will turn his attention to rehab ahead of an offseason in which his financial future will be a key talking point.
Dolphins Open Odell Beckham Jr.’s Practice Window
The Dolphins have waited months for their hopeful No. 3 wide receiver to practice. Although the team has a bigger-picture matter plaguing its offense, Odell Beckham Jr. is trending toward a workout with teammates soon.
Out with an unspecified injury for months, Beckham is now off the Dolphins’ reserve/PUP list. The team did not practice today, but Beckham was listed as a full estimated participant. The Dolphins now have three weeks to activate OBJ. If Miami does not activate Beckham by then, he misses the season. Though, it seems unlikely that scenario will occur based on today’s development.
With players on the active roster or in a return window from an injured list needing a health designation, per injury reporting rules, the Dolphins listed Beckham as having a knee injury. The veteran wide receiver underwent what had been an unspecified procedure this offseason; it now appears that was knee surgery.
It is certainly notable a knee problem affected Beckham following his Dolphins signing (one year, $3MM), as he has suffered two torn ACLs in the 2020s — the second of which keeping him out for the 2022 season. The former Pro Bowler did return and play in 14 regular-season games and both Ravens playoff contests last season, quieting concerns after a lengthy absence following Super Bowl LVI. But this will be a situation to monitor for the Dolphins, who are amid a quarterback crisis.
While Beckham appears set to join Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in a game soon, the Dolphins have seen their offense crater without Tua Tagovailoa. Skylar Thompson and emergency pickup-turned-starter Tyler Huntley have struggled since Tagovailoa’s concussion. Although the Dolphins have received good news on their fifth-year starter, they will still need to play at least two more games without him. Tagovailoa is trending toward returning in Week 8, when first eligible to come off IR. Huntley will start in Week 5, Mike McDaniel confirmed.
As for Beckham, he posted 565 receiving yards (career-high 16.1 per catch) and three touchdowns with Baltimore. The Ravens let him walk in free agency, leading to this Dolphins opportunity. McDaniel stopped short of saying Beckham will be activated for Week 5 (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson), but the third-year Miami HC said the free agency addition had not sustained any setbacks en route to a Dolphins debut. An estimated full practice Wednesday is a good sign for a team in need of them right now.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/2/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Practice window opened: T Christian Jones
Cleveland Browns
- Signed to active roster: LB Nathaniel Watson
Green Bay Packers
- Practice window opened: DT Jonathan Ford
Houston Texans
- Practice window opened: DT Kurt Hinish
Las Vegas Raiders
- Practice window opened: S Trey Taylor
New York Giants
- Practice window opened: LB Matthew Adams
Miami Dolphins
- Practice window opened: CB Cam Smith
New England Patriots
- Designated for return from reserve/PUP list: WR Kendrick Bourne, LB Sione Takitaki (story)
- Practice window opened: S Marte Mapu
New York Jets
- Practice window opened: DT Leki Fotu
- Released from IR: LB Brandon Smith
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed to active roster: RB Aaron Shampklin
- Practice window opened: LB Jeremiah Moon
San Francisco 49ers
- Practice window opened: DL Kalia Davis
Seattle Seahawks
- Designated for return from PUP list: DT Cameron Young
Today marks most teams’ first practice before Week 5, making it the first date players stashed on IR as teams set their initial 53-man rosters can work out again with their teams. This year’s IR tweak allowed teams to designate up to two players for return August 27, the catch being all players who receive that designation count toward their respective club’s eight-activation total. The batch included in today’s minor moves post consists entirely of players to receive that August IR-return designation.
The IR-return window is unchanged, however, with teams having 21 days from Wednesday to activate these players. Anyone from today’s group not being activated from IR by October 23 must miss the rest of the season. PFR will keep track of all players returning from IR via the Injured Reserve Return Tracker.
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa Could Return In Week 8
The Dolphins produced another underwhelming offensive output on Monday while trying to find a temporary replacement under center for Tua Tagovailoa. A return target for the team’s franchise passer appears to be in place, though. 
Tagovailoa continues to sit out while on injured reserve. Miami moved him to IR shortly after the Week 2 concussion which sidelined him from the contest and led to renewed questions about his playing future. The 26-year-old does not intend to retire, and his attention has remained focused on recovering in full to avoid any setbacks during the 2024 season. The Dolphins have one more game until their bye week, and Tagovailoa could be in the fold shortly after that point.
The 2023 Pro Bowler has a “real possibility” of returning in time for Week 8, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday night (h/t Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). The Dolphins have a matchup against the Patriots in Week 5 before their bye and then a contest against the Colts. Week 8 will see Miami take on Arizona in a matchup which will no doubt be critical to the team’s efforts to make a postseason run. Neither Skylar Thompson nor Tyler Huntley have managed to lead the Dolphins to a strong offensive showing in their respective starts.
Tagovailoa’s return is therefore highly anticipated. The Alabama product has made progress in his recovery, and the team has remained confident he will be back in the fold at some point in 2024. Huntley was signed off the Ravens’ practice squad, but no other QB moves are being considered. Tagovailoa’s IR stint guaranteed at least a four-week absence, a recovery timeline necessary for his brain to heal in full (as opposed to simply a lack of concussion symptoms showing), as Jackson details.
Tagovailoa has suffered at least four concussions in the last five years – one of which dates back to his college tenure – so a cautious approach on the team’s part would come as no surprise. With the Dolphins sitting at 1-3 on the year, though, having the former No. 5 pick back in the fold would be a welcomed sight as they attempt to rebound on offense. Miami ranks last in the NFL in scoring and 24th in total yardage after lopsided losses to the Seahawks and Titans with Thompson and Huntley under center.
Miami also has Tim Boyle as a stopgap option at the quarterback spot, but either Thompson (if healthy) or Huntley will likely get the nod for the team’s next two games. After that, it will be interesting to see if Tagovailoa is activated.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/30/24
Today’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released: S Tony Jefferson
Miami Dolphins
- Promoted: WR Dee Eskridge
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted: NT Quinton Bohanna, LB Tyus Bowser
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: DE Ben Stille
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted: DL Abdullah Anderson, CB Tre Avery
Dolphins To Start QB Tyler Huntley In Week 4
The Dolphins will have a new QB under center on Monday night. Coach Mike McDaniel told reporters (including Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) that Tyler Huntley will start at quarterback vs. the Titans.
[RELATED: Tua Tagovailoa Making Strides In Recovery]
Huntley’s promotion to QB1 seemed increasingly likely as Skylar Thompson was limited at practice all week with a rib injury. McDaniel acknowledged as much to reporters, noting that it was “supremely obvious” that Huntley “had what it takes” to guide the offense (via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques).
Thompson got the first chance to fill in for Tua Tagovailoa, but the former seventh-round pick was knocked out of the team’s Week 3 loss with a rib injury. Tim Boyle ended up finishing that contest, but the veteran will revert to his standard backup role in Week 4 (per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe).
While Tagovailoa is showing positive signs in his recovery from yet another concussion, the starter doesn’t have a definitive return timeline. The team snagged Huntley off Baltimore’s practice squad following Tagovailoa’s Week 2 head injury, but with less than a week of practice time before Week 3, it seemed inevitable that Thompson would get the Week 3 nod. Following Thompson’s ugly performance last weekend, the Dolphins staff continued to give the third-year pro a vote of confidence (per Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald), a sign that he could be inserted back into the starting lineup when he’s healthy.
For the time being, Huntley will have a chance to run with the job during Tagovailoa’s absence. The former UDFA spent the majority of his career in Baltimore serving as Lamar Jackson‘s backup. Huntley went 3-6 as a starter between the 2021 and 2023 campaigns. That included an infamous 2022 season where he earned a Pro Bowl nod despite starting only four games. In total, the 26-year-old has completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 1,957 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He’s also collected 509 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 115 attempts.
Huntley hit free agency this offseason and caught on with the Browns. Cleveland unsuccessfully shopped the backup before releasing him during final cuts. He was quickly added to the Ravens practice squad to serve as the third QB behind Jackson and Josh Johnson.
Tua Tagovailoa Making Strides In Recovery
Tua Tagovailoa remains on injured reserve, but signs still point to him being available later in the 2024 season. Miami’s franchise quarterback has been with the team while recovering from his latest concussion, while the Dolphins do not appear to be seeking out further additions under center. 
Skylar Thompson served as the starting quarterback in Week 3, a game in which the Dolphins were beaten handily by the Seahawks. Tagovailoa traveled with the team for that cross-country contest, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero noted on a Rich Eisen Show appearance Tagovailoa has received clearance to perform all regular activities short of playing (video link). That is an positive sign of his progress while the 26-year-old attempts to return to action.
Miami quickly made a move in the wake of Tagovailoa’s Week 2 concussion, signing Tyler Huntley off the Ravens’ practice squad. The former UDFA eyed a Dolphins agreement once Tagovailoa went down, and he could get the nod for Week 4 as Thompson deals with a rib injury. Huntley, Thompson and Tim Boyle represent Miami’s options as things stand, and Pelissero confirms no contact has been made with the Broncos or Steelers to gauge the availability of Zach Wilson or Russell Wilson.
With the Dolphins remaining confident in their incumbent signal-callers for the time being, attention will remain focused on Tagovailoa’s recovery timeline. Last year’s passing leader cannot be activated until at least Week 8, and the team’s decision to move him to IR is a sign of the cautious approach being taken with him. If Tagovailoa manages to avoid setbacks with respect to concussion symptoms over the coming weeks, he will be positioned to resume practicing ahead of a return to the playing field.
With Miami sitting at 1-2 on the year, it remains to be seen if the team will be in contention for a postseason berth by the time Tagovailoa is available to be activated. His recovery process seems to be in a good place for the time being, however, which is an encouraging development for team and player.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/26/24
Here are Thursday’s practice squad moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Ahmarean Brown
Chicago Bears
- Signed: DL Travis Bell
- Placed on practice squad injured list: DL Sam Roberts
Detroit Lions
- Signed: LB Abraham Beauplan
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: TE Messiah Swinson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Jody Fortson, RB Keaontay Ingram
- Placed on practice squad injured list: TE Baylor Cupp
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: OL Braeden Daniels
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DT Neil Farrell
Fortson will make his way back to Missouri, doing so after the Dolphins released him in August. Fortson combined to catch 14 passes for 155 yards and four touchdowns during the 2021 and ’22 Chiefs seasons, but he spent the 2023 campaign on IR. An effort to latch on in Miami did not pan out, but the Chiefs have the reserve tight end back as insurance. Fortson, 28, initially caught on with the Chiefs as a 2019 UDFA.
Ingram will fill the same purpose, switching spots with Kareem Hunt, whom the Chiefs bumped up to their 53-man roster this week. Waiving Ingram to make room for the Hunt reunion, Kansas City circled back to the former Arizona draftee. Ingram joins UDFA Emani Bailey as RBs on the Chiefs’ P-squad.
Latest On Dolphins WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr. started the campaign on the reserve/PUP list after he underwent surgery to address an unspecified injury. Questions still linger over Beckham’s exact status, but he could be nearing his 2024 debut.
[RELATED: Dolphins’ Week 4 Starting QB Unclear]
Players who start the year on PUP are required to miss at least the first four weeks of the season. As a result, Beckham cannot be activated until after Miami’s upcoming game against Tennessee. His practice participation at that point will be worth watching closely, but head coach Mike McDaniel‘s latest comments on the situation strike an encouraging tone.
“I’m optimistic when his window opens up,” McDaniel said regarding Beckham’s return timeline (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). “We will see how his body responds. He hasn’t had the setbacks we made sure to avoid.”
The Dolphins took a cautious approach with Beckham after he signed a one-year, $3MM deal in free agency. The three-time Pro Bowler is in line to occupy the No. 3 receiver role once healthy, though, and depth at that spot behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle will be important with Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve. Regardless of who plays quarterback in the meantime, having a full array of pass-catchers available would help the Dolphins’ outlook on offense.
Beckham’s latest deal reflects his status as a complementary option at this point in his career much more than his 2023 Ravens one ($15MM guaranteed) did. The 31-year-old made 14 appearances with Baltimore last season, his first after being out of the league for the previous two years. His 16.1 yards per catch average was the highest of his career, albeit on only 35 receptions. Beckham will look to post solid secondary production once he is on the field, and the Dolphins will aim to avoid any further missed time once he is activated.
Bringing Beckham back into the fold will not use up one of Miami’s IR activations. The same is true of edge rusher Bradley Chubb and offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn, whose respective recoveries will also be key storylines for the team over the near future.