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Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel doesn’t seem concerned with Jason Sanders’ recent injury
The Miami Dolphins concluded their preseason campaign on Saturday night with a 14-6 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, meaning that the next time they take the field, it will come when they square off against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1. However, there were a couple of potential injury concerns that arose during this game.
Perhaps the most important of the bunch involved kicker Jason Sanders, who suffered an undisclosed injury during warmups that prevented him from playing in this contest. While it was certainly concerning to see punter Jake Bailey attempt a 51-yard field goal in place of Sanders, head coach Mike McDaniel doesn’t seem too worried about his kicker’s status.
Mike McDaniel Provides Jason Sanders’ Injury Update
Sanders broke into the league when he was selected by the Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Since then, he’s been Miami’s starting kicker, and he’s been one of the most consistent options in the league during his time with the team. Sanders’ best season came in 2020, when he hit 36 of his 39 field goal attempts, while also making all 36 of his extra-point attempts, earning him an All-Pro First Team selection.
Beyond that, Sanders has also never missed a game in his NFL career. While kickers don’t exactly take a beating compared to just about any other position in football, they still are prone to injuries from time to time as well. However, Sanders has displayed impressive durability to begin his career, with Miami never really having to worry about the kicker position since drafting him.
Concerns arose during his unexpected absence in the preseason finale, though, and for good reason. However, it sounds like McDaniel and the Dolphins were just being cautious with Sanders, as the head coach revealed he isn’t concerned about his injury status and that had he needed to, the veteran kicker could have played in this game.
“On Jason Sanders, Mike McDaniel says he doesn’t appear to be a concern for Week 1. He was willing to kick extra points,” Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post shared in a post on X.
Dolphins Avoid Catastrophe with Jason Sanders Injury
GettyJason Sanders #7 of the Miami Dolphins kicks a field goal.
Losing Sanders in the preseason finale would have been a hard pill for the Dolphins to swallow. As evidenced by Bailey being forced into emergency duty, Miami only has one kicker on their roster. If Sanders were to miss time, they would have to quickly identify someone to come in and hold down the fort for them, which isn’t ideal considering how close the start of the regular season is.
The good news is that McDaniel does not seem worried about whatever sort of ailment Sanders is dealing with, meaning he should be good to go come Week 1. The Dolphins and their fans can let out a collective sigh of relief after hearing this update on Sanders’ injury status, and unless something unexpected pops up, he should be out on the field with the rest of the team in Week 1 against the Colts.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is a Breaking News Writer at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Owen serves as the Lead NFL Editor at ClutchPoints while also working as a Content Producer for More Views Media. His work has also appeared on The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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