Mike McDaniel left the door open for some reinforcements from the injury list on Monday and one name stands above the rest as a potential needle-moving return

Right tackle Austin Jackson

Jackson's value to the Dolphins was established in 2024 when he missed the second half of the season and took the Dolphins' run game with him. Miami's response this offseason was to add free agent Larry Borom as the team's swing tackle. Borom, for the record, has been fine when viewed through the spectrum of utility offensive linemen. A healthy Jackson would certainly be an upgrade with his power and athleticism — that's where Borom's role is most reduced. The pass protection has actually been admirable in Jackson's absence, though, as he's been credited with just five pressures in the last six games.

Upgrade? Yes. The biggest one? I don't think so.

Kicker Jason Sanders

Sanders went down in the preseason with an odd injury ahead of Miami's third and final preseason contest. He has not been seen since and Miami has transitioned from a short-term plan with Riley Patterson as a practice squad elevation strategy to simply putting Patterson on their 53-man roster.

The warts in Patterson's game have shown up in recent weeks, too. After not missing a kick in the first five weeks of the season, Patterson has missed three kicks since Week 6 — a 50+ yard field goal attempt against the Chargers, a mid-range attempt against Baltimore, and then an extra point against the Bills.

A triumphant return for Sanders would give this offense more range for points, as he's got a big leg and Patterson has not hit a 50+ yard kick all season. Sanders was 12-14 from 50+ in 2024.

Right guard James Daniels

James Daniels' career thus far in Miami

• Signed three-year, $24 million free agent contract in March
• Successfully returned from 2024 Achilles tear to be ready for Week 1 versus Colts
• Played just three plays on opening possession before suffering pec injury
• Has been on injured reserve ever since

This would be Miami's biggest win. You could argue that Austin Jackson is a better overall player when healthy. But Borom's floor at right tackle has been much higher than everyone the Dolphins have plugged in at right guard in Daniels' absence. Cole Strange, a former first-round pick by New England, has settled into the spot and has now logged over 400 snaps with Miami's starters this season.

Daniels offers more experience, more power, and a better anchor. If Miami only sees one player take the next step for a return to action this week, we should be hoping it is James Daniels.

window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll && event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-426').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-426').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*');

This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Nov 11, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.