MIAMI – Miami Dolphins wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. will practice with the team this week, coach Mike McDaniel said Tuesday, for the first time since signing with the team in May.
After starting the regular season on the physically unable to perform list with an undisclosed injury, Beckham will have to be added to the team’s active roster within 21 days or be reverted to the inactive list for the remainder of the season.
Beckham signed a 1-year, $3 million contract with incentives worth up to $8.25 million this offseason but has not practiced as he works his way back from injury. He’s eligible to return as soon as Miami’s game this week against the New England Patriots, but that decision won’t be made until later this week. His potential return comes as the Dolphins’ 26th-ranked offense has struggled to both move the ball efficiently and score; they are the worst-scoring offense in the league through four weeks at 11.3 points per game.
One reason behind Miami’s offensive woes is its fluid situation at quarterback. Tyler Huntley will make his second consecutive start this week in place of the injured Skylar Thompson and Tua Tagovailoa – who will miss at least two more games while on injured reserve.
Huntley completed 14-of-22 passes for 96 yards during Monday’s 31-12 loss to the Tennessee Titans, and scored the team’s only touchdown of the night on a 1-yard run.
McDaniel said despite the poor result, there were aspects of Monday’s loss that inspired confidence moving forward.
“We’re planning on going with Tyler and I think after reviewing the tape, there’s reasons for guys to be excited about that,” McDaniel said. “Because while the output wasn’t nearly what we wanted offensively, there was some things to build upon that we will keep working through.”
The Dolphins will likely be without pass rusher Jaelan Phillips this week, after he left Monday’s game with a knee injury and didn’t return. McDaniel said it was currently unclear whether Phillips’ injury would keep him out for multiple weeks.
Without Phillips, Miami will likely rely on veteran Emmanuel Ogbah and rookie Chop Robinson to bolster its pass rush.