Ollie Gordon II opens up after heated exchange with coach on sideline

Early in the second quarter of the Miami Dolphins’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens, rookie running back Ollie Gordon II was on the unfortunate side of a questionable whistle.

Gordon was called for a tripping penalty on a play, and thus quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s 36-yard completion to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle that would have given the Dolphins a prime scoring opportunity was negated.

It seemed as if Gordon slipped and barely touched the defender (if at all), but the penalty was called nonetheless. The running back got into a heated back-and-forth exchange with running backs coach Eric Studesville following the call, but he’s since shown remorse about how he conducted himself in that moment.

“It was caught up in the heat of the moment,” Gordon said. “When you look at it, I was in the wrong. I probably should’ve said ‘yes, sir’ and kept on going about my business. … We didn’t have a fallout about that. We talked about it, and everything was good from there.”

Gordon ultimately left the Dolphins-Ravens contest with an injury. He ended the game with just six rushing yards.

The 21-year-old is someone who’s been a surprisingly big part of the Dolphins’ offense as a rookie this season. While he hasn’t necessarily carried a huge load, he has functioned as their second running back behind rising star De’Von Achane. Gordon has suited up in all nine of Miami’s contests while logging a start as well.

All things considered, the sixth-round pick by the Dolphins in the 2025 NFL Draft has had a mixed bag of a rookie season.

He’s had a couple of performances throughout the season where he’s looked like he belongs at the highest level, but he’s put together more games where he’s made little impact, if any. Gordon has totaled fewer than 10 rushing yards in five of his nine games played, and he’s run for more than 30 yards just twice. He does have two all-purpose touchdowns to his name.

While Gordon has been far from the Dolphins’ most consistent or productive offensive player this season, it’s a positive sign that he has the maturity to realize his mistake, and it seems as if his relationship with Studesville is no worse for wear following their little spat.