Don’t look now, but the Dolphins are being forced to turn to their fifth option in 2025 to fill a key defensive role amid more injuries
The football gods are showing no mercy to the Miami Dolphins. After a wildly ambitious offseason plan at cornerback, Miami eventually caved and signed several veteran players in the final few weeks before the start of the 2025 season. And it's a good thing they have. Because the injury bug has hit this group hard, and it is continuing to gnaw and Miami's secondary.
The latest development is one that taxes Miami's middle-of-the-field coverage further. The Dolphins, as revealed this afternoon by head coach Mike McDaniel, are down to their fifth option to play in the nickel.
Dolphins defensive back Cornell Armstrong is set to miss "some time" as latest nickel defender to bite the dust
"Cornell (Armstrong) will miss some time with a hamstring."
— Mike McDaniel on Monday afternoon
Neat! That now makes three preferred options at the position out for periods of time, if not the season. Remember — cornerback Kader Kohou was supposed to fill this role in a contract year after three seasons of playing in Miami as a hit in undrafted free agency. Then it was
Marshall Jr. went down with an injury against Buffalo in Week 3 that landed him on injured reserve, giving way to Armstrong as the nickel. He played 23 snaps against the Panthers on Sunday before his own injury arose.
Miami Dolphins secondary injuries thus far in 2025
- Cornerback Kader Kohou (torn ACL)
- Cornerback Artie Burns (torn ACL)
- Cornerback Storm Duck (Ankle)
- Cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. (Hamstring)
- Cornerback Cornell Armstrong (Hamstring)
Now? The Dolphins will presumably be calling upon a third safety for the time being. Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas are entrenched as the starters outside. That leaves JuJu Brents, Ethan Bonner, and an injured Storm Duck as the other available options. None is a great fit in the nickel.
Minkah Fitzpatrick could feasibly seize the role full-time or play interchangeably with Ifeatu Melifonwu or rookie Dante Trader Jr. Perhaps Miami will tap into free agency for another veteran corner. But the options are limited at best. Either way, the Dolphins are down to their fifth option at nickel corner between the injuries and the decision to waive Mike Hilton back at the end of the preseason.
When it rains, it pours. South Florida is known for its heavy downpours, I suppose.
Bill Simmons takes no prisoners in his latest rant, calling out the Raiders' failings this season.
When the Las Vegas Raiders hired Pete Carroll to be their head coach and traded for veteran Geno Smith, it was with the idea of being a competitive team. Five weeks into the 2025 NFL season, they are far from that.
The Silver and Black are coming off a 40-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5 and are riding a four-game losing streak. Moreover, Smith, who was supposed to bring a veteran presence, is turning the ball over and playing like the New York Jets version.
At 1-4, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons teed off on key coaches and ownership for the squad that they assembled over the offseason for this campaign.
So the Raiders are 1-4,” Simmons said. “I wrote down: ‘Turns out mid-70s, Pete Carroll, a washed-up Chip Kelly, a multitasking Tom Brady, and apparently washed-up Geno Smith and the son of Al Davis were not the dream team in retrospect.'”
Raiders QB Geno Smith Draws Brutal Take
Simmons did focus on Smith, considering the signal-caller is the one out on the field making mistakes and playing subpar after Las Vegas not only traded for him but signed him to a contract extension.
“It just seems like it’s over,” Simmons added. “[Smith] has nine interceptions already in five games, and there’s a storied list of people who have done this, and it’s all [among] some of the worst quarterbacks he can remember from the last 30 years. The Raiders, of course, have had a couple of them. I can’t believe how bad he’s been.
“They gave him $75 million for two years. They gave up a third-round pick for him, and he’s worse than the guys they had last year. It was [Aidan] O’Connell, [Gardner] Minshew, and [Desmond] Ridder—nineteen TDs, sixteen interceptions. Geno’s six TDs, nine interceptions right now.”
Should the Raiders Bench Geno Smith?
Smith was signed to provide veteran leadership for a young Raiders offense. Yet, the errors typically associated with players in their first few NFL seasons are coming from the 34-year-old instead.
Still, Carroll clarified why they chose not to bring in Pickett once the game was effectively decided.
“Here’s the reason why I didn’t do that: We need to stay out there and keep practicing, ”
“I thought about it because there was a chance to do that. … That’s not what’s necessary. We need to get better and get right, so these are the games that we’re working on, and these are the games that we learn from and grow from so that we can change the course of the way games are going.”
Nonetheless, former Raiders wide receiver James Jones did call out Carroll for not giving Kenny Pickett a look once the game got out of hand.
“When you’re losing the way we have lost a couple of games this season, [you] put Kenny Pickett in there and see what he can do,
“So now you’re losing a game and he’s struggling, and [you’re] putting him in a pass situation only for him to make another mistake. That’s not going to help his confidence. Put
