Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Bayron Matos was airlifted off the team’s practice field on Wednesday following an injury.
Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Bayron Matos remained hospitalized Wednesday night pending testing on Thursday following an injury in the team’s first practice of their 2025 training camp. Matos was injured when he ran into a defensive player near the end of the practice. A helicopter airlifted Matos from the team’s practice field to the hospital.
Matos’ agent, Perlesta Hollingsworth, spoke with the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson Wednesday night, providing some update on his client’s condition. Hollingsworth explained Matos “has an above-the-shoulder type of injury,” though he said it was unclear if the injury was a neck, spine, or some other type of issue. Hollinsworth went on to tell Jackson that Matos has “some movement but not full movement in his right left. It comes and goes.”
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Matos moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a career in basketball. He started his college career at the University of New Mexico before transferring to the University of South Florida as a redshirt sophomore. In 2022, he walked on to the South Florida football team, initially working as a defensive lineman before being moved to offensive tackle.
He was added to the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program in January 2024 as he entered the Draft. The Dolphins signed him as an undrafted free agent, beating out multiple other teams in agreeing to terms. He spent 2024 on Miami’s practice squad before signing a futures contract after the season to return to the Dolphins this year.
Hollingsworth told Jackson, Matos, “ran into a defensive lineman when his head was lowered and took the brunt of the impact.” The agent also indicated Matos’ girlfriend and some family members are with him at the hospital while his mother is set to fly from the Dominican Republic to be with him.