MADRID — If one takes a stroll down certain streets of Madrid, an image of Miami Dolphins outside linebacker Chop Robinson can be seen hanging from lightpost banners promoting Spain’s first NFL game against the Washington Commanders.
With a bigger opportunity in front of him than he has had all season, he is cleared from concussion protocol ahead of Sunday’s 9:30 a.m. kickoff at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
Robinson is good to go Sunday, as coach Mike McDaniel broke the news before Friday’s final official practice at Estadio Metropolitano in preparation for Sunday.
“You drive through Madrid and you see him on the signs,” Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said Thursday, “so it’s important that we get here and he shows up.”
Robinson, the 2024 first-round pick, hasn’t started all year in his second season because veteran edge rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips have been healthy all season. Phillips, though, was dealt to the Philadelphia Eagles at the trade deadline.
“I expect Chop to be great,” said Weaver, eager to see how Robinson does with more of a rhythm with extensive snaps. “I think through repetition, the more he’s out there, the more you’re going to feel him in the game. I think he’s a volume – like you have volume shooters in basketball – I think he’s a volume player when it comes to football so just him being on the field, yeah, he’s going to make some mistakes like they all do, but he’s going to make more plays than he hurts you.”
Robinson first suffered the concussion in the Oct. 30 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He missed last Sunday’s win over the Buffalo Bills, the first one Miami played without Phillips, but McDaniel indicated he was close to clearance then.
Dolphins center Aaron Brewer and cornerback Rasul Douglas, meanwhile, are dealing with foot and ankle injuries as they returned to practice Thursday after missing Wednesday drills in Spain.
McDaniel said he’s “aggressively optimistic” about Brewer, the durable center who hasn’t missed a start with Miami, being available.
Douglas has his status up in the air against the Commanders, with McDaniel deeming him questionable Friday before the day’s practice.
Douglas missed the Buffalo game, and Brewer made it through the contest but his ailing lower leg surfaced afterward, before the team flew overnight Monday into Tuesday morning in Europe.
This story will be updated.
