Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead misses Vikings game; Nik Needham among in-game injuries
Miami Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead was out for the team’ s game Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings at Hard Rock Stadium. Armstead, who has averaged more than five games missed over the past six seasons, was inactive for the first time since signing with the Dolphins in the offseason. The Dolphins also still don’ t have right tackle Austin Jackson, who will...
Miami Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead was out for the team’s game Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings at Hard Rock Stadium.
Armstead, who has averaged more than five games missed over the past six seasons, was inactive for the first time since signing with the Dolphins in the offseason. He just missed another full week of practice dealing with his toe injury that has lingered since the opener against the New England Patriots.
Mostly playing through the ailment, he made an early exit in last week at the New York Jets, after eight offensive plays. He didn’t travel back with the team on Oct. 9 to see a foot specialist in the New York/New Jersey area before returning to South Florida.
Miami, on Saturday, elevated two offensive tackles from the practice squad, Brandon Shell and Kion Smith, to prepare for Armstead’s absence.
The Dolphins also still don’t have right tackle Austin Jackson, who will miss a fifth consecutive game on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Without Armstead or Jackson at New York, Miami used Greg Little at right tackle and Shell at left tackle, but in on Sunday, they were flipped with Shell at right tackle and Little at left tackle. Most of Little’s career experience is at left tackle, and Shell, before last Sunday at MetLife Stadium, had exclusively played right tackle in his career.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was also among the Dolphins’ seven pregame inactives, which was expected after he was ruled out by coach Mike McDaniel early in the week through his recovery from a concussion on Sept. 29.
He and fellow quarterback Teddy Bridgewater cleared concussion protocol on Saturday. Bridgewater, after having limited practice reps throughout the week, was available as a backup to rookie starter Skylar Thompson and ended up having to come in. Bridgewater was in the protocol despite not being diagnosed with a concussion but being forced to exit due to ataxia witnessed by a spotter, an emphasis under the NFL’s Oct. 8 revision to concussion protocol.
Tight end Durham Smythe (hamstring) was out Sunday against the Vikings, but running back Raheem Mostert, who also entered questionable with a knee injury, was available and receiving a bulk of Miami carries.
Cornerback Kader Kohou, who was already doubtful with an oblique ailment was inactive. While Miami was minus Kohou, the undrafted rookie that has seen significant playing time and three starts thus far, it got All-Pro Xavien Howard back after he missed the loss to the Jets. With Byron Jones still on the physically-unable-to-perform list, the Dolphins started Howard and Nik Needham.
Healthy Dolphins inactives were running back Myles Gaskin, wide receiver Erik Ezukanma and defensive tackle John Jenkins. Miami defensive back Elijah Campbell, who was questionable with a foot injury, is available.
For the Vikings, outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum was among pregame inactives after entering Sunday questionable with an illness. The other Minnesota player that went in questionable, running back Alexander Mattison, is available.
In-game injuries
Aside from Thompson making his early exit, the Dolphins had defensive ends Emmanuel Ogbah and Trey Flowers and Needham and Keion Crossen head to the locker room in the first half.
Needham had a cart come onto the field to take him off the field. He has been ruled out.
Ogbah had a back injury but returned in the second half.
Flowers, who sustained a foot injury, and Crossen, who left right before halftime with a knee injury, were both ruled out to start the second half.
This story will be updated.
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