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Dolphins Holding Jevon Holland Out of Practice Again

Originally posted on Miami Dolphins on SI | By Omar Kelly | Last updated Dec 7, 2023 2:56 PM ET

Mike McDaniel bragged that the Miami Dolphins defense features one of the best safeties in the NFL in Jevon Holland, and he seemingly intends to keep it that way by resting the three year starter.

Holland, who injured both his knees in Miami's 34-13 win over the New York Jets on Nov. 24, sat out Thursday's practice, which was the Dolphins first day of on-field preparation for Monday night's game against the Tennessee Titans.

McDaniel acknowledged that he's holding Holland, who participated in one practice last week, out for precautionary reasons, ensuring that he's healthy for the late December stretch of games, which will likely decide Miami's playoff seeding, and for the post season.

"He is very important to our team. Fortunately we have some very good players across the board. In the NFL season your depth is challenged," McDaniel said. "He's eager, but he's also one of the wisest [players]....He understands where we're coming from and he's looking forward to getting back out there, but we won't mortgage the rest of the season to risk [injury]."

Brandon Jones could start

If Holland doesn't play against the Titans expect Brandon Jones to start his fourth game of the season. But it's possible that Holland, who is second on the team with 69 tackles, could practice on Friday and Saturday on a limit basis and be cleared to play in Monday night's game.

Also held out of Wednesday's practice was receiver Tyreek Hill, who missed his third practice of the 2023 season for reasons that will be specified when the injury report is produced later today.

Raheem Mostert, who has been nursing ankle and knee soreness for the past month, and tight end Durham Smythe, who has been played with on an injured ankle for the past month, also sat out Thursday's practice. But that's the norm for both starters, and they typically return to practice later in the week.

Three O-linemen sidelined

And the Dolphins practiced without starting left tackle Terron Armstead, starting right guard Robert Hunt, and swingman tackle Kendall Lamm.

Armstead has been nursing playing through knee and quadriceps injury for weeks, and against the Commanders he sprained his right ankle on Sunday.

Hunt, who sat out a month of practices and games because of a left hamstring injury, re-aggravated the strain against the Commanders, and it's likely that he could be shut down for a week or two because of the complexity of the soft tissue injury.

"We're working trough stuff. We were trying to avoid what ultimately happened," McDaniel said when discussing Hunt. "We're just going to progress and take that [rehab] day by day."

Lamm has been battling back issues that have limited his practice and game participation. Even though he dressed for the Commanders game it was Kion Smith who replaced Armstead in the second half, and Smith might be forced into the starting lineup if Armstead and Lamm aren't cleared to play.

This article first appeared on Miami Dolphins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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