Will Liam Eichenberg Be Starting Sunday?

Liam Eichenberg could get a second opportunity to prove his NFL future might be at center this weekend.

Connor Williams missed his second straight day of practice Thursday while nursing the groin injury he’s been playing through for the past few weeks, and it’s possible that the Miami Dolphins could hold him out of Sunday’s 1 p.m. game against the winless Carolina Panthers.

If that’s the case, Eichenberg could be asked to start his second game at center this season. The 2021 second-round pick, who has started 27 NFL games at guard and tackle, replaced Williams as Miami’s starting center in Miami's 48-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills, and he allowed two sacks and committed two penalties.

DOLPHINS HOPEFUL FOR EICHENBERG IMPROVEMENT

The Dolphins excused Eichenberg’s struggles against the Bills by pointing out it was his first time playing center in an NFL game, and claiming the Dolphins’ post-snap alignment and assignments were sound.

“There’s always going to be things that you know you can improve on and you can work on. For him, a player and actually the guys who have the right internal process, they’re always going to remember the one play, the two plays, the cut handful of things where they know they can improve,” Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith. “When you’re playing center for the first time in an environment like that, was it perfect? No. But there were plenty of things that we can build upon and with how conscientious Liam is and how intentional he is, we’re very confident with his growth for the rest of the season.”

The only other options Miami has at center outside of Eichenberg would be to use Lester Cotton at center, a position he's been cross-trained to play, or elevate rookie Alama Uluave or Chasen Hines from the practice squad. Uluave played center at San Diego State, and Hines, an LSU product, was drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 draft by the New England Patriots to play center.