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The Miami Dolphins received encouraging news on the injury front Wednesday, as rookie draft picks Caleb Douglas and Kyle Louis were both listed as limited participants in the team's first practice following the bye week. However, their availability for the Week 7 matchup with the New York Jets remains far from certain.
Douglas, a wide receiver, has not played since Week 2, while Louis, a linebacker, has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury in the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. Neither player made any guarantees about suiting up this week, and head coach Jeff Hafley echoed that cautious stance.
"He was a big bright spot early on," Hafley said of Douglas. "Everybody was excited about him from training camp to preseason and the first couple games that he played. We were counting on him and then unfortunately he got injured. Monday he was out there, limited. Today he'll be out there and getting acclimated again. My expectations can't be too high because we've got to see him practice today. We've got to see how he feels tomorrow, kind of like Kyle. And then Friday to see what he's able to do and if he's able to go and help us out. But I am excited. I'm very excited. We've got two young players practicing that we're excited about, and we'll see what they can do today."
Douglas was non-committal when speaking to reporters after Wednesday's session, and Hafley also stopped short of making any promises. The bottom line is that while the return of Douglas and Louis would provide a boost whenever they are ready, it may not happen this week—and even if it does, expectations should be tempered.
Other Injury Updates
Edge defender Robert Beal Jr. also returned to practice Wednesday after missing the past three games with a hamstring injury. He was listed as a limited participant as well.
Cornerback Reese Taylor, who continues to deal with a quad injury, was the only player on the 53-man roster who did not practice. Along with Beal, Douglas, and Louis, long-snapper Tucker Addington (shoulder), tight end Will Kacmarek (hamstring), and running back Jaylen Wright (foot) were all limited participants.
Four starters were full participants, including quarterback Malik Willis, who is dealing with an issue with his right thumb. Willis appeared to hit his throwing hand on a helmet during the Week 5 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks (foot), guard Jonah Savaiinaea (ankle), cornerback JuJu Brents (heel), and linebacker Jackson Woodard (ankle) were also full participants.
For the Jets, the most significant news was running back Breece Hall not practicing because of a quad injury. He has missed the past three games.