Dolphins’ key Tua Tagovailoa protector gets best-case scenario injury update
The Miami Dolphins could not have gotten a worse start to the season than the one they had on Sunday when they were on the receiving end of a 33-8 drubbing at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts. For a team looking to return to the playoffs in 2025 after missing out last year, this is not the ideal start to the season.
Making matters worse is that the Dolphins already have to deal with the injury bug — with guard James Daniels, who is one of the players the team would want to rely upon to protect quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, hitting the doctor’s chair.
Daniels exited the game in the first quarter with a pectoral injury and wasn’t able to return to the contest. At the very least, the Dolphins’ offensive lineman did not suffer a tear to his pectoral muscle, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, which is the “best-case scenario” due to how bad the injury looked for him to not be able to return to their contest against the Colts.
Daniels is expected to miss three to four weeks with this injury, which, while it is the best the Dolphins could hope for given the circumstances, is a huge blow. The 27-year-old offensive lineman wasn’t already the most durable player to begin with, so for him to suffer another injury setback is going to be tough for both him and the Dolphins to deal with.
He was deemed questionable to play leading up to the first game of the season against the Colts, although it was for an ankle injury. This was already concerning, especially when he’s set to play in his first official game in nearly a year after he tore his ACL in September 2024.
How the Dolphins deal with the loss of their $24 million man remains to be seen, still.
Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa stand on shaky ground
Considering how many injuries Tagovailoa has suffered over the past few years, the Dolphins have made it a priority to beef up the offensive line to protect their franchise quarterback. Daniels was certainly an investment; they gave him a three-year, $24 million contract even though he was coming off a torn ACL — that was the kind of trust they had in the 27-year-old.
Alas, it is not going swimmingly for Daniels and the Dolphins, with Daniels set to miss at least three games (against the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets) if his initial injury timeline holds.
Giants' biggest winner from statement-making preseason couldn't be clearer
In a twist of events no one saw coming last year, finding the New York Giants' biggest preseason winner of 2025 was a fairly difficult exercise. That's what happens when the team overperforms to the tune of 3-0, outscoring opponents by 60 points (107-47).
There were a lot of players worthy of the honor: Dante "Turbo" Miller deserved recognition, Tommy DeVito was incredible, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka made a compelling case, and Giants fans certainly came away as huge winners as well. But none felt like bigger winners than New York's rookie quarterback sensation, Jaxson Dart.
Dart's preseason debut went about as well as it possibly could have... perhaps too well. The 25th overall pick out of Ole Miss wrapped a bow around his first preseason 32-of-47 (68.1%), for 372 yards, and four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing). By all accounts, it was the most unexpected and electric performance of the whole preseason, making Dart the easy selection for biggest winner.
Jaxson Dart is the Giants' biggest preseason winner
Yes, I know... it might feel like a cop-out answer here, but there really isn't any other player more deserving. Skeptics and critics came crawling out of the woodwork, rushing to pour cold water on Big Blue's draft selection of the Ole Miss product. Three games later, it's clear Dart was more ready than anyone could have imagined, especially for a player labeled a project. Ha — joke's on you.
This is a team that’s been stuck in a bottomless pit of bad quarterback play. So when a developmental rookie comes in and flips that narrative on its head, that alone is enough to make him the biggest winner.
The 22-year-old did a lot of things that aren't typical of rookie signal-callers taking their first NFL snaps. His presence in the pocket, eyes downfield, arm talent, and overall confidence were on display throughout the preseason. A lot of the impressive tape showed attributes and mental makeup that are tough to teach — a guy either has it or they don't. And Dart's got a lot of those intangibles.
No, the rookie did not play his way into the starting lineup; that's Russell Wilson's job (for now), but he didn't need to become the starter to prove he's the biggest winner. He needed to show improvement, competence, and enough signs to point to him becoming the QB of the future. Check, check, and check.
With the preseason officially in the books, the focus now fully shifts to Dart’s next on-field appearance. After one of the most promising performances in recent memory, it's impossible not to be excited about what's brewing in East Rutherford. New York just wrapped up its best preseason in years. It’s no coincidence their future franchise quarterback was leading the charge.
Giants fans were already clear winners (by association) — Dart just made sure they stayed that way.
