Chris Bell’s first real stretch of action for the Miami Dolphins offered a clear reminder of why the team was so intrigued by him in last April’s draft.
Taken in the latter part of the third round, Bell arrived in Miami carrying the label of a potential steal, even though he was only months removed from an ACL injury and was never expected to help immediately. He also missed most of training camp, then worked in the weeks after camp broke before the season began. His debut as a Dolphins receiver was quiet - one catch for 25 yards - and then he didn’t show up again on the stat sheet until Week 3.
That changed against the Chiefs.
Without fellow third-round rookie Caleb Douglas, Bell turned in a four-catch, seven-target, 67-yard performance that included a 44-yard catch-and-run. It was the kind of showing that hinted at more than just a useful role player. Bell looked comfortable in his first meaningful NFL action, even if he still isn’t fully conditioned or completely in game shape yet.
Bell wasn’t Malik Willis’ top target on Sunday; that belonged to Malik Washington. Still, Bell took a notable step forward. Miami is bringing him along carefully, but the Chiefs game gave a real look at how he can use his size to shield defenders and his suddenness to create separation.
Through three games, Bell has five receptions on 10 targets, and that number figures to climb. As he gets more comfortable in the league and continues to move further away from his November 2025 knee injury, the Dolphins believe his production will rise. That’s where the “steal” talk could start to look justified.
There’s still plenty of unfinished business here, though. Miami has not yet had Bell and Douglas on the field together for a full game as WR1 and WR2, and that too is expected to change as Bell’s health improves.
Bell’s week leading into the Chiefs game wasn’t simple. He was dealing with a knee injury, and by midweek it still wasn’t clear whether he would suit up. Jeff Hafley announced Friday that Douglas would be out, while Bell would play.
The Dolphins have already taken plenty of criticism for moving on from Jaylen Waddle, and at one point their receiver room had been reduced to just M. Washington and a few future practice squad players.
Miami was expected to attack the position early in the draft. Instead, it took Jacob Rodriguez in round two, then doubled down with two receivers in round three.
If those picks keep trending the way this game suggested, the optics could look a lot better in a hurry.
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Jacob Rodriguez Is Giving Dolphins Fans A New Reason To Believe
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The buzz has followed him beyond the locker room, with betting markets now treating him like a serious Defensive Rookie of the Year contender. Rodriguez has welcomed the attention, but he has kept the focus on the bigger picture and the kind of team success Miami needs if his early rise is going to mean anything in the long run. For the Dolphins, the encouraging part is not just the numbers, but how quickly he has become someone they can trust in the middle of it all. [Read more 🡒]