Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Robert Jones reportedly suffered an MCL sprain and is expected to miss four to six weeks with the injury.
Luckily for Miami, Jones appears to have avoided surgery, but he’s still going to miss time in the 2023 regular season.
Per his agent, @DrewJRosenhaus , #Dolphins OL Robert Jones suffered an MCL sprain in his knee and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. He is not expected to undergo surgery. Was in a battle for a starting O-line spot. #FinsUp #NFLPreseason pic.twitter.com/sCh4pR4xw9
— Josh Moser (@TheMozKnowz) August 20, 2023
It was reported earlier that Jones had looked to have avoided a serious injury, but he’s still going to miss a decent amount of time.
A former undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee State University, Jones was contending for a starting spot on Miami’s offensive line. Now, it looks likely that Robert Hunt and Liam Eichenberg will be Miami’s starting guards in the 2023 season.
Jones could have a chance to earn a starting job once he returns from injury, but that may not come until the end of September based on the revealed timeline.
After going undrafted, the Illinois native agreed to a deal with Miami in 2021 and ended up making the final roster. He’s appeared in 24 games for the Dolphins over the last two seasons, making eight starts.
In the 2022 season, Jones had a major role for Miami, starting seven games and appearing in 16 of the team’s 17 regular season contests. Jones also started the team’s playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.
Losing depth at any position this close to the start of the 2023 season is a tough blow for Miami, but it should get Jones back pretty early on in the 2023 campaign.
The Dolphins’ offensive line will be extremely important in the 2023 season, as it needs to keep quarterback Tua Tagovailoa healthy. The signal-caller took a lot of hits in the 2022 season, and he suffered multiple confirmed concussions because of it.
Miami will need players like Hunt and Eichenberg to step up to mitigate the loss of Jones.
Miami’s first game of the regular season is on Sept. 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers. If Jones misses all of September, he’d miss regular season matchups with the Chargers, New England Patriots and Denver Broncos.
Miami’s October schedule begins on Oct. 1 against the Buffalo Bills. The team also plays the New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, Philadelphia Eagles and Patriots that month.
