Report: Miami Dolphins get several key players back at practice leading into Philadelphia Eagles showdown

The Miami Dolphins have a daunting matchup against quarterback Jalen Hurts and the 5-1 Philadelphia Eagles on the road set for this Sunday.

Fortunately, ahead of Miami’s Week 7 game, cornerback Xavien Howard, center Connor Williams, tackle Kendall Lamm and fullback Alec Ingold returned to practice on Thursday.

Howard was chosen by the Dolphins with the No. 38 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and has spent all eight of his seasons in the pros with the franchise. He has racked up one interception, 27 combined tackles, 23 solo tackles, four assists on tackles and one quarterback hit in six games played with Miami thus far during the 2023 regular season (all starts).

While Howard is enjoying a solid 2023 regular season, his production pales in comparison to the numbers he put up during the 2020 season. He was arguably the best cornerback in the NFL that season, seeing as how he totaled a league-best 10 interceptions and 20 passes defended across 16 appearances. In addition, he ended up with 51 combined tackles, 40 solo tackles and 11 assists on tackles.

Howard’s excellent play on the defensive side of the ball back in 2020 resulted in him finishing third in that season’s NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year voting behind T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams.

Ingold, meanwhile, went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft and has played for the Las Vegas Raiders and Dolphins during his five seasons in the NFL. The 6-foot-1 fullback has 57 total yards this season — all through the air — in six games played with the Dolphins.

Lamm is in his second season with the Dolphins franchise after spending his first seven seasons in the NFL playing for the Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans. He played for the Texans during the first four seasons of his pro career.

Howard, Williams, Lamm and Ingold aren’t guaranteed to play in Sunday’s game against the Eagles just because they returned to practice on Thursday, but hopefully, they all will.