The Dolphins have been continuously optimistic about the recovery of cornerback Jalen Ramsey from what was reported to be a full meniscus repair that the veteran underwent in late-July, originally expressing hope that he could be back from knee surgery as soon as November. It appears that Ramsey is set to surpass even that extremely optimistic deadline as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the All-Pro cornerback is expected to return this Sunday against the Patriots.

Miami stunned many when they opened his 21-day practice window last Wednesday. By doing so, the team was risking losing Ramsey to season-ending injured reserve if he was unable to make a return by the end of the 21 days. Although nothing is official yet, the finish line appears to be in view for Ramsey’s insanely speedy recovery.

The injury, originally thought to be a displaced meniscus tear, which would’ve required that full meniscus repair, was apparently an outer rim meniscal tear, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, allowing the injury to be repaired with a trim. A full repair would’ve necessitated a recovery timeline of five to six months, while an outer rim tear, which receives better blood flow, can heal on a timeline closer to 12 weeks, which seems to explain the change from a late-season return prediction to what we’re seeing now.

To be perfectly clear, this is solely a reported expectation from the Dolphins, as Ramsey himself has made perfectly clear. Shortly after the news broke from ESPN, Ramsey took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify that, while “there’s a CHANCE that (he) can play this Sunday…that decision genuinely (hasn’t been) made yet.” This isn’t necessarily Ramsey refuting the report, he’s simply clarifying that the news isn’t coming from him, and as far as he’s concerned, the decision is still his to make. He goes on to say that he will only play if he feels “great.” Anything less than that, and Ramsey will continue to sit.

Ramsey’s refusal to commit to a Week 8 return is more in line with the reports yesterday from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler who claimed that the team is considering waiting until Miami’s bye week to bring Ramsey back. Fowler makes it clear that there’s a road that sees Ramsey back earlier, but the way the Dolphins timed their designation for return, Ramsey would be able to wait until the team’s two-week break to officially come back.

Miami had to drastically shift its plan in the secondary with Ramsey out. Kader Kohou has once again stepped up to start across from Xavien Howard, like he did as an undrafted rookie last year, but both have been banged up lately with Howard sitting out of the team’s loss to the Eagles. Last-second offseason addition Eli Apple has been able to contribute, but second-round rookie Cam Smith has yet to establish a role in the Dolphins’ secondary. A huge contributor last year, Nik Needham has also been out on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, getting activated from the PUP just yesterday. The addition of Ramsey would be another huge relief to the Miami cornerbacks group.

Essentially, all this to say that things are looking increasingly optimistic for the Dolphins and Ramsey. He’ll almost certainly make his return by the conclusion of the team’s bye week, but it sounds like the team is confident that they may see him suit up this weekend against Miami’s division rival.

1:48pm: The surgery Ramsey underwent will force the Dolphins to drastically alter their cornerback plan this season. Ramsey underwent a full meniscus repair Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter), adding that the operation is expected to sideline the recent trade acquisition until December. Ramsey’s post-trade contract reworking fully guaranteed his 2024 salary, giving the ex-Jaguars and Rams standout some security as he prepares for rehab.

11:57am: The Dolphins’ new-look defense suffered a blow yesterday when All-Pro corner Jalen Ramsey suffered a knee injury which will require surgery. Further updates on his status and how the team is reacting to the news have emerged.

Ramsey suffered a non-contact injury, head coach Mike McDaniel indicated on Friday. The required surgery will take place later today, and the success of that procedure will determine his recovery timeline. In any event, though, Ramsey will indeed miss the beginning of the regular season as originally feared (Twitter link via Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network).

The Dolphins acquired the six-time Pro Bowler as part of their efforts to upgrade their secondary this offseason. A role which would see him play both on the boundary and in the slot under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was thought to be in play, but those plans will be on hold for now. McDaniel expressed confidence in the team’s remaining crop of corners, but he added (via Beasley, on Twitter) that Miami will work out depth options in the near future.

A number of experienced options remain on the open market, including William Jackson, Ronald Darby, Casey Hayward and Troy Hill. Byron Jones is also unsigned, but his Dolphins release is believed to have marked an official end to his playing days. Miami currently has just under $13.5MM in cap space, giving them plenty of flexibility to add a low-cost veteran to help offset the loss of Ramsey for what could be an extended period.

The Dolphins must approach any CB signings with the knowledge that they are still in the running for Dalvin Cook, however. A homecoming for the four-time Pro Bowl running back remains a possibility, though his upcoming Jets visit could very well lead him elsewhere in the AFC East. Attention will be paid to the success of Ramsey’s operation, but it will be worth watching how the Dolphins react after it is completed as they look to withstand the absence of their prized offseason acquisition.

Jalen Ramsey‘s debut with the Dolphins likely won’t come in Week 1 after the cornerback suffered a knee injury during practice today. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), Ramsey will undergo knee surgery and is expected to miss the start of the regular season.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reveals on Twitter that the All-Pro cornerback suffered a meniscus injury that could force him to miss six to eight weeks. Pelissero clarifies (on Twitter) that the best-case scenario would see Ramsey back on the field “right around the season opener.” The worst-case scenario would see the veteran sidelined for much longer, and the player’s timeline will be determined following surgery. Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network tweets that a meniscus trim would result in a speedier recovery, while a “full repair” would sideline Ramsey for much longer.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that doctors will determine during surgery what the best course of action is for the player. While a source cautioned that no decision has been made, RapSheet notes that the “likely outcome” would be a full meniscus repair. While this route would be the “best and healthiest option,” it would also keep Ramsey off the field until around December. For what it’s worth, Ramsey tweeted that the “end of the season push” will be “legendary,” perhaps an indication that he’ll miss more than the season opener.

Fortunately, we should have some clarity soon, as Wolfe tweets that Ramsey will have surgery on the meniscus in his left knee tomorrow. The cornerback suffered the injury during practice today after colliding with receiver Tyreek Hill. Ramsey was seen grabbing the back of his knee before he left the field. As Wolfe notes on Twitter, Ramsey previously suffered a meniscus injury in 2016 when he was a rookie with the Jaguars.

The Dolphins sent the Rams a third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long for Ramsey back in March. The 28-year-old earned his sixth-straight Pro Bowl nod in 2022, finishing with a career-high 88 tackles to go along with four interceptions and 18 pass breakups. Pro Football Focus graded Ramsey as the third-best cornerback among 118 qualifiers in 2022, with the site giving him top-10 positional marks during each of his three-plus seasons in Los Angeles (including a 2021 campaign where he finished first).

Besides his top-end production, Miami added the high-priced cornerback because of his playoff success and his versatility. The acquisition was expected to play opposite Xavien Howard on the outside with Kader Kohou manning the slot, but there were recent reports that Ramsey could see plenty of time in the slot for Miami in 2023. With Ramsey sidelined, the Dolphins could lean even more on Kohou during his second season in the NFL, and second-round rookie Cam Smith should also have an opportunity to step into a role right away. Miami will also eventually welcome back Nik Needham, who continues to recover from an Achilles injury that ended his 2022 season early.

When star cornerback Jalen Ramsey first changed coasts, he changed roles. After spending the majority of his time in Jacksonville as an outside cornerback, the Rams began to use utilize him a bit more in the slot, while still primarily playing him outside. Now, headed back to the east coast, there’s an expectation that the ratio of snaps will continue to shift towards the slot in Miami, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

As a young defender in Jacksonville, Ramsey was dominant while continuously playing over 80 percent of his snaps at outside cornerback. In the position, he delivered a first-team All-Pro year that saw the best defensive grades of his career, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). In the waning years of his rookie deal, he continued to play on the perimeter but failed to meet the expectations set by his stellar sophomore season.

Instead of extending the perennial Pro Bowler, the Jaguars opted to trade Ramsey to Los Angeles in the middle of his fourth year on the team. There were reported altercations with then-Jacksonville head coach Doug Marrone, and the team honored reported requests to be dealt elsewhere.

Once established in Los Angeles, the Rams began to do something the Jaguars hadn’t: move Ramsey around. During his time in LA, Ramsey played much more of a “star” role than he had the opportunity to in Jacksonville. During his first year with the Rams, the snap share only went up to about 17 percent, still a much larger share than any year with the Jaguars. By 2021, though, over 30 percent of his defensive snaps came from the slot. As a result, Ramsey began to show signs of dominance again, putting up the best defensive and coverage ratings, according to PFF, since his elite sophomore season.

In fact, 2022 saw Ramsey give up an uncharacteristically high 98.6 passer rating, driven up mostly by his play on the perimeter. When playing in the slot last year, Ramsey only gave up a 79.7 passer rating. According to Jackson, this is something that new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will take into consideration.

Last year’s rookie standout, Kader Kohou, is expected to take the majority of snaps in the slot for the Dolphins, while Ramsey slots in opposite Xavien Howard on the outside. But Fangio plans to deploy Ramsey in the slot at times based on the success he’s seen when splitting his time between the two positions.

Fangio is blessed with a fairly deep cornerback group that includes Ramsey, Howard, Kohou, and South Carolina second-round pick Cam Smith leading the group. Nik Needham and Keion Crossen both provide serviceable depth after being forced into more playing time last year due to injuries. Release candidate Noah Igbinoghene and special teams ace Justin Bethel round out the likeliest corners to make the final 53-man roster.

That depth should allow Fangio the freedom to experiment a bit with moving pieces around without compromising the quality of play too much. This could result in Ramsey continuing the success he found in California, splitting his time in the slot and outside.