Jalen Ramsey‘s debut with the Dolphins likely won’t come in Week 1 after the cornerback suffered a knee injury during practice Thursday. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Ramsey will undergo knee surgery and is expected to miss the start of the regular season.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reveals that the All-Pro cornerback suffered a meniscus injury that could force him to miss six to eight weeks. Pelissero clarifies 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.
While a source cautioned that no decision has been made, Rapoport 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.
NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe tweets that Ramsey will have surgery on the meniscus in his left knee Friday. The cornerback suffered the injury during practice Thursday after colliding with receiver Tyreek Hill. Ramsey was seen grabbing the back of his knee before he left the field. As Wolfe notes, 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 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. Ramsey 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.
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