Darren Waller’s hip strain setback, revealed Friday, won’t land him on injured reserve ahead of the Miami Dolphins’ opener Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
Waller was not placed on IR Saturday, as the team traveled to Indianapolis for its Week 1 game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Dolphins instead merely announced they elevated kicker Riley Patterson and running back Jeff Wilson Jr. from the practice squad to the active roster, two anticipated moves with the team short at each position entering Sunday.
With Waller already ruled out Friday, the Dolphins face the Colts with two healthy tight ends, Julian Hill and Tanner Conner. They had practice squad options of Greg Dulcich and Hayden Rucci, and they chose to create a roster spot for neither.
Waller, who came out of retirement this offseason to join the Dolphins, started training camp on the physically-unable-to-perform list. He was activated off the PUP list Aug. 20 but barely practiced, even after his activation.
Had Waller been placed on IR, he would’ve been forced to miss at least four games and, if the Dolphins were to activate him later in the season, he would’ve counted as a third of eight such available designations for the year. The team already has kicker Jason Sanders and offensive lineman Andrew Meyer designated for return.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel first said Waller wouldn’t practice Wednesday but not due to any setback. When the team’s first injury report of the season came out later that day, it was revealed Waller had a hip ailment. He again didn’t practice Thursday.
On Friday, McDaniel said Waller’s hip was strained and that, while the Dolphins were trying to avoid any setback, he did indeed have one at some point “before practice Wednesday.”
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The Dolphins’ move to keep Waller on the active roster for Sunday guarantees his reported one-year, $2 million deal, which separately carries $3 million in incentives. As a vested veteran with at least four years in the league, Waller’s contract becomes guaranteed if on a team through the first week of the season.
Patterson will be up for the first of three games with the team in place of Sanders while he recovers from his own hip injury.
Wilson gives the Dolphins a third running back on game day while the team has De’Von Achane and rookie Ollie Gordon II ready to handle most of the workload with second-year tailback Jaylen Wright out due to a knee injury.
Wilson, who was with the Dolphins since midway through the 2024 season but was on the San Francisco 49ers during camp, was brought back on Miami’s practice squad after he didn’t make the team in San Francisco.
The Dolphins chose to bring Wilson up over fellow practice squad running back JaMycal Hasty.
