Here\u2019s my Monday potpourri<\/a> of notes, playing time nuggets, grades and more on defense.<\/p>\n This story was originally published September 21, 2026 at 5:03 PM.<\/p>\n
Dolphins receiver Caleb Douglas\u2019 status for Sunday\u2019s game against the Chiefs is in question because of an ankle injury.<\/p>\n
Coach Jeff Hafley said it\u2019s too early to tell if Douglas will be able to play in Sunday\u2019s home opener (1 p.m., CBS).<\/p>\n
If Douglas cannot play, that could mean an opportunity for veteran Jalen Tolbert, the former Cowboys starter who has been inactive for the first two games.<\/p>\n
Hafley said he recently told Tolbert \u201chow much I appreciate… how he\u2019s accepting his role. I told him his time is going to come and we are going to need him. His job is to be the best teammate he can be with guys playing ahead of him. His time will come and I truly believe that. I have a great admiration for how he\u2019s approached it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Besides Douglas, running back Jaylen Wright also left the game and did not return. Wright, who departed in the second quarter with a stinger, is day to day, Hafley said.<\/p>\n
Edge player Chop Robinson, who missed Sunday\u2019s game, has improved but remains in concussion protocol. This is Robinson\u2019s third reported concussion in his two-plus years in the league.<\/p>\n
Hafley addressed other issues on Monday:<\/p>\n
\u25aa Receiver Chris Bell\u2019s snap counts have been limited because of several factors, including working himself back into condition after last November\u2019s torn ACL. And \u201cwe had limited reps yesterday,\u201d Hafley said.<\/p>\n
\u25aa Here\u2019s what pleased Hafley in the 35-13 loss to the 49ers: He likes how hard the team is playing, noting that \u201chas jumped off the tape. I thought we played really good run defense against one of the better run offenses. I\u2019m not talking about scrambles. Christian McCaffrey had 10 carries [for 23 yards]. We are playing better against the run.<\/p>\n
\u201cOffensively, we ran the ball better yesterday, which was good to see. We should have had 13 points against a really good team in the first half. When you are looking at things to build off, [those are some].\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa On how Malik Willis has played: \u201cThere are moments when the ball is out on time; he\u2019s been extremely accurate. Kept drives alive with his legs. It\u2019s the consistency right now. It\u2019s getting comfortable with the guys around him. When they know you\u2019re going to drop back, it\u2019s going through the progressions, being on time. There are a lot of quarterbacks working on\u201d that early in the season.<\/p>\n
\u25aa Has he considered making personnel changes among starters or rotation players? \u201cWe have to make sure there\u2019s constant competition. There are certain positions I\u2019d be lying if I didn\u2019t say there were those conversations and we have to continue to have those conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa On rookie safety Michael Taaffe: \u201cHe\u2019s an instinctual player who\u2019s around the ball quite a bit. There are things he will clean up. He\u2019s a guy I am really pleased with the way he\u2019s playing. There\u2019s a lot of room to improve.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa On communication breakdowns on passing plays involving George Kittle and others, Hafley said: \u201cWe had some busts that are unlike us that I hadn\u2019t seen in practice or camp. We need to communicate better in there. We looked really hard to figure out why that happened…. That was the biggest issue yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa On the team\u2019s spirits: \u201cWin or lose, there shouldn\u2019t be a difference. You can\u2019t let circumstance dictate your behavior. Win or lose, we have to look really hard at the film. We can\u2019t have [people] moping around or people afraid to say hello to me. We\u2019ve got to get better and fix it. The foundation is going to be laid where we are not going to act a certain way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa Hafley said the pre-snap penalties are the ones that particularly irk him. \u201cThose in a critical situation. Those are things we have to get [fixed]. There has to be sense of urgency with that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u25aa Hafley confirmed that the Dolphins poached linebacker Andre Jones Jr. off the Bills\u2019 practice squad, confirming that decision was fueled by a desire to upgrade on special teams, as well as on defense. Inside linebacker Liam Anderson was released.<\/p>\n
\u25aa Asked about a message to fans heading into the home opener Sunday, Hafley said, among other things, that he\u2019s excited and \u201cwe have a team that\u2019s young and giving everything they have. First home game, get out and support the team. Make it loud.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s my Monday smorgasbord<\/a> of notes, playing time nuggets, grades and more on offense.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s my Monday potpourri<\/a> of notes, playing time nuggets, grades and more on defense.<\/p>\n This story was originally published September 21, 2026 at 5:03 PM.<\/p>\n
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