Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert did not participate in practice on Wednesday due to a knee injury, according to the team’s injury report.
His status for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots is unknown.
Mostert had a solid showing in the Dolphins’ season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. Although he wasn’t particularly efficient (totaling 37 rushing yards on 10 carries), he found the end zone in the first quarter to give Miami its first touchdown of the season.
The Dolphins needed every single one of their scoring drives in Week 1, as they escaped Los Angeles with an impressive 36-34 win.
Mostert ended up being Miami’s leading rusher for the game. The Dolphins weren’t really able to do a lot of damage on the ground, as they finished with just 70 rushing yards as a team.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa did a lot of the heavy lifting with his arm, throwing for 466 yards and three touchdowns. His connection was sharp with Tyreek Hill, who had 215 receiving yards and two scores.
It’s too early to speculate about Mostert’s chances of playing in Week 2, but if he’s unable to go, the Dolphins will likely turn to players like Salvon Ahmed and De’Von Achane.
Now more than ever, the idea of the Dolphins trading for a star running back may sound very appealing to fans. Miami was linked to multiple star backs during the offseason, and according to a recent update, the squad could still be a threat to land Jonathan Taylor from the Indianapolis Colts.
Taylor, 24, led the NFL in rushing yards (1,811) and rushing touchdowns (18) in the 2021 season.
But until further notice, the Dolphins will work with what they have, and they’re certainly crossing their fingers that Mostert will be able to play on Sunday against the Patriots. For an early-season game, the matchup could end up being very important in the race for the AFC East title.
At 1-0, the Dolphins are no strangers to winning season openers. They’ve now done so in three straight years. That hasn’t always translated to season-long consistency, however, which is something they’ll look to change this time around.
