Jaylen Wright Injury Update
Jaylen Wright just can’t catch a break—and frankly, neither can the Miami Dolphins. If bad luck had a face, it might wear teal and orange right now. With De’Von Achane already limping around thanks to a stubborn calf injury, the last thing anyone wanted to hear was that their energetic backup Jaylen Wright would be sidelined for weeks after a “small procedure” on his lower leg. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, never one to sugarcoat, said he’s hoping Wright can be back sometime in September. Fingers crossed, but, honestly, if Miami’s running back room gets any thinner, they might have to start holding open tryouts in the parking lot.
In the meantime, the front office has been scrambling. The Dolphins called up some reinforcements, signing running backs Jeff Wilson and JaMycal Hasty to hold the fort. Not exactly headline signings, but hey—at this point, warm bodies are a win. It’s kind of wild how quickly Miami’s depth chart shifted: Wright, just a fourth-round pick last year and all of 22 years old, had climbed to the No. 2 spot behind Achane, nudging ahead of rookie Ollie Gordon II. Now, Gordon looks set for a crash course in starting reps, and nobody even knows who’s getting the bulk of early touches. It’s like musical chairs, but with ice packs and medical tape.
Jaylen Wright’s season stats from last year? Solid, if not spectacular. Fifteen games played. Only one start. Two hundred forty-nine rushing yards at 3.7 a carry. His breakout moment came in Week 5 versus the Patriots—thirteen carries for eighty-six yards, setting the tempo for a gritty, 15-10 win. I actually remember watching that game at a friends’ place, everyone hollering when Wright broke free for a chunky run on third-and-long. Little flashes like that make you feel optimistic, right? Then football happens—the most “any given Sunday” sport on the planet—and suddenly, you’re checking Twitter every hour for medical updates.
Achane isn’t exactly out of the woods either, but McDaniel says he should be ready for the opener. Whether he’s actually at full speed is anyone’s guess. The rest of the room is basically rolling dice at this point. As for Jaylen? No one’s putting him on injured reserve (so, that’s something!) and the mood is that he’ll be back by late September if everything heals well. In Miami, optimism is always in season. But, if you’re a Dolphins fan, your lucky socks might need an upgrade.
Sometimes it feels like the injury bug has Miami on speed dial. But hey—new faces in camp, grit over glam, and hope for better headlines soon. That’s football. Just keep the ice baths ready and the next-man-up spirit alive.
