Dolphins camp: Terron Armstead injured, seen leaving joint practice vs. Texans on crutches
HOUSTON — Miami Dolphins four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead left the team’s Thursday joint practice with the Texans in Houston with an apparent right leg injury.
Armstead was in on the first offensive snap of team drills against the Houston defense, when he went to the ground after a Texans defender was blocked into his legs on a running play to his side.
Armstead limped, was examined on the side for several minutes and eventually carted inside to Texans facilities.
After practice, Armstead was seen using crutches to get back onto a cart that would escort him away. That was minutes after he tweeted a video of himself walking without crutches.
Thanks for the love and support! always! pic.twitter.com/dhthJaH2dO
— T. Stead (@T_Armstead72) August 17, 2023
Dolphins teammates were optimistic about Armstead’s outlook after Thursday’s practice in Houston.
“I think it’s not serious,” wide receiver Tyreek Hill said. “I’m sure he’ll shake back.”
He added a funny anecdote: “As soon as it happened, I went up to him. I said, ‘You straight?’ He said, ‘Yeah, I’m straight, man. I’m just old.’
“Terron is a huge part of our team, and I feel like he’s more important than I am.”
Tyreek Hill said Terron Armstead, who left today’s practice with injury, told him he’s good and just old pic.twitter.com/rnH1o8WIIP
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) August 17, 2023
Said right guard Robert Hunt: “Hopefully he’s OK. We all know how important he is to this team, to this offensive line. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious.”
In his first season in Miami, Armstead missed four games and played through various injuries in games he was available for. He battled toe, knee, pectoral and hip ailments. The toe injury was at the root, sustained in the 2022 opener, but he also had a procedure done on a knee in the offseason.
Over Armstead’s previous six seasons with the New Orleans Saints, he averaged 5 ½ games missed during those seasons.
He had been on a maintenance program throughout training camp, but he was in line to get two consecutive days of team drills in joint practices against the Texans on Thursday.
“I’m still getting ready,” Armstead said following his participation in Wednesday drills. “I don’t feel like I’m fully ready yet for the regular season, but we don’t have a game yet. Still working through that process. Trying to get more reps to get more game-ready and get my body feeling optimal. Just get it as good as possible to go out and play some ball.”
Armstead wasn’t the only Dolphins player injured Thursday. Players from both teams watched with a knee on the ground as Miami nose tackle Brandon Pili was attended to for several minutes as he lied on the ground.
Pili, an undrafted rookie out of USC making noise for a potential roster spot as a reserve defensive lineman, was then walked over to a tent on the sideline for further examination. He was seen pointing to the back of his head and neck and then walked off with trainers.
This story will be updated.