Dolphins' leading rusher Raheem Mostert likely to have surgery on broken thumb
MIAMI GARDENS — The Dolphins could face the Buffalo Bills in a wild-card game Sunday without not only their leading passer, but also their top rusher.
Running back Raheem Mostert suffered a “significant” break in his thumb in Sunday’s 11-6 victory over the New York Jets and likely was scheduled for surgery, coach Mike McDaniel said.
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“It's a serious injury,” McDaniel said. “It's hard to know if he'll be able to play this week. I never put anything past him.”
Mostert’s injury continues a strange run of poor luck for Miami’s backfield. Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has been out with a dislocated pinky and fullback Alec Ingold has played the past two games with a cast over his broken thumb, which required surgery.
But unlike Ingold, who has limited touches, Mostert’s injury could be a bigger concern because of ball security. Mostert had 11 carries for 71 yards (a 6.5 average) against the Jets. This season, he led the Dolphins in carries (181) and rushing yards (891), averaging 4.9 per carry.
Should Mostert be unable to play, the Dolphins would turn to Jeff Wilson, who led the team with 16 rushes for 72 yards (4.5) vs. the Jets and was the second-leading rusher with 84 carries, 392 yards and a 4.7 average — numbers that do not include his 468 yards for San Francisco before being traded.
The Dolphins continue to have several other injury concerns, although McDaniel said it won’t be until later in the week that he has a handle on players such as tackles Terron Armstead and Brandon Shell. He sounded optimistic on receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who had ankle issues vs. the Jets.
McDaniel: Dolphins cheer for Damar Hamlin as if he’s their teammate
Bills safety Damar Hamlin was released from the hospital Monday, one week after suffering cardiac arrest during a game against Cincinnati. He planned to return to Buffalo, which raised the possibility he might attend the game vs. the Dolphins.
McDaniel knows how charged the Bills and their fans would be if that happens, but he expressed delight at Hamlin’s “miraculous” recovery.
“I feel very, very confident that our whole team will be cheering for Damar the same, like he was a Miami Dolphin,” McDaniel said. “You know, that's a shared experience. There’s very few moments really realistically that you can say, ‘Yeah, I remember where I was when.’ ”
The Dolphins lost 32-29 in Buffalo on Dec. 17, when the referee briefly stopped the game to warn fans that the Bills could be penalized if fans continued to throw snowballs at the Dolphins. But McDaniel said he enjoys the atmosphere at Highmark Stadium just the same.
“It’s just a really cool place,” he said. “You can tell the football fans love the game for the right reasons and are 100 percent loyal and let you know how much they dislike you, which I kind of appreciate, coming from fans’ perspective.”
Tyreek Hill named Dolphins MVP
Receiver Tyreek Hill was named winner of the Dolphins’ Dan Marino Most Valuable Player award.
Hill broke team records for receptions (119) and receiving yards (1,710).
The Dolphins also announced that Tagovailoa won the Don Shula Leadership Award, Ingold was named the team’s Ed Block Courage Award winner and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah earned the Nat Moore Community Service Award.
Ingold’s award was in recognition for his comeback from a season-ending knee injury while with the Raiders last season. He also did not miss a game despite thumb surgery.
Dolphins’ 2023 opponents include Kansas City, Philadelphia
By finishing it 9-8, the Dolphins finished second in the AFC East behind Buffalo (13-3). With that, their 2023 opponents are set.
In addition to facing Buffalo, New England and the Jets home and away, here’s what’s in store for next season:
Home opponents: Denver, Las Vegas, Dallas, Giants, Tennessee, Carolina.
Road opponents: Kansas City, Chargers, Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dolphins' Raheem Mostert has broken thumb
