MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins placed starting right tackle Austin Jackson on injured reserve Saturday, making him the second starting offensive lineman they've placed on IR this week.
Jackson suffered a toe injury in last week's 33-8 loss to the Indianapolis Colts and did not return. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Monday he expected Larry Borom to start in Jackson's place in Week 2, but as the week progressed, it became clear Jackson's injury would take multiple weeks to return from.
"What you don't want to do is put someone on IR and then find out a half-week later that they could've been back two games before that," McDaniel said Friday. "You're measuring the inexact science of medicine or whatever, and you're trying to figure out if you can help your roster in the short term or if that's going to hurt you and particularly that player. I struggle robbing players of the finite opportunity of playing in NFL games, so it's easier when you have some absolute certainty. That's where we usually make that move."
Jackson missed most of training camp with a toe injury after his foot was stepped on at practice; McDaniel did not clarify whether this is a new injury or an aggravation to the one he suffered in camp.
The Dolphins also placed starting right guard James Daniels on injured reserve earlier this week, after he suffered a pectoral injury in Week 1. Daniels' injury is not expected to be season-ending, McDaniel said Monday.
Kion Smith is expected to start in Daniels' place this week against the New England Patriots, and Miami signed former Patriots first-round pick Cole Strange off the Cleveland Browns' practice squad this week.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa admitted that playing without two starters will be a challenge, but the team is used to playing with the next man up.
"That will be tough, but this isn't an instance where it's the first time it's happened for us," he said Wednesday. "Where a new guy gets put in and we've got to trust that he knows what he's doing or he knows what he has to do in a certain protection or a run game scheme. So I trust the guys that are going to be in there. They had some reps throughout training camp while I was in there, so I've got the utmost confidence in those guys."
In other roster moves Saturday, the Dolphins elevated kicker Riley Patterson and running back Jeff Wilson Jr. from the practice squad to their active roster for Sunday's game and signed practice squad cornerback Cornell Armstrong to their active roster.