Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said during a December 13th press conference that he is “a little pessimistic” about offensive tackle Terron Armstead starting this weekend as he continues to deal with a knee injury. At this time, McDaniel has not officially ruled Armstead out of the game, according to Pro Football Network reporter Adam Beasley.
Dolphins Terron Armstead Unlikely To Play For Dolphins In Week 15
“It’s a rest thing,” McDaniel said earlier in the week. “You might have seen his frustration level to try to contribute in this particular game, and it’s something he can’t control. I’ve been very proud of how he’s handled all of it because he’s probably at a new level of maturity to handle these type of things. I think we’ll let it cool down a little bit.”
If he cannot play, this will be the second game Armstead has missed this season. Armstead was unavailable for the Dolphins’ week four matchup with the Tennessee Titans.
The Dolphins should not rush the 5-Time Pro Bowler
As McDaniel said, this is a rest issue. Therefore, Terron Armstead would be better served getting extra rest and not risking further damage to his already banged-up knee. The 33-year-old has never played a full season in the NFL, so the guy clearly has injury problems. Rushing him back for a fairly inconsequential game against the Houston Texans would be a foolish decision, especially if Armstead does even more damage to his knee.
The Miami Dolphins are probably not going to make the playoffs, so there should be no urgency to put Armstead back in the lineup. With a 6-7 record, the ‘Phins are currently the eighth seed in the AFC playoff picture behind the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts. Since the Colts have a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Dolphins and Miami is two games behind the Broncos in the standings, the ‘Phins will probably miss the playoffs this season.
With this in mind, Miami should err on the side of caution when dealing with the five-time Pro Bowler. The Dolphins would be better off with a fully healthy Armstead for the 2025-26 campaign than a somewhat healthy one that contributes to one or two more wins during a lost season. Miami will likely give Armstead an extra week of much-needed rest to ensure he is as healthy as possible before making his return to the field.
Main Image: Jeff Hanisch – USA Today Sports
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