The Miami Dolphins got a deadline-day headline involving Zach Sieler, but it wasn’t a trade rumor at all. Instead, the news centered on a season-ending injury for the team captain.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, citing sources, Sieler ruptured a biceps tendon against the Detroit Lions on Sunday and will have season-ending surgery. The expected recovery timeline is 5-6 months.
Sieler’s injury is especially striking because he has been one of the most reliable players on the roster since arriving in Miami as a waiver pickup from the Baltimore Ravens in 2019. Over the last six seasons, he has missed only two games, and both came in the 2024 season after he was poked in the eye during practice.
The injury also came out of nowhere in real time. Sieler played 42 snaps in Miami’s 19-9 loss to Detroit, just four fewer than he logged against New England in Week 8. There was no Sieler injury listed from the press box, and the only injury the Dolphins reported was to Will Kacmarek, who suffered a quad issue after taking a shot following a catch near the sideline.
That lack of an in-game report may have made sense because Sieler was never tended to on the field and was not away from the sideline at any point.
Still, there was a clue early. On the first play from scrimmage against Detroit - Jahmyr Gibbs’ 2-yard run - Sieler was wearing a black contraption around his right upper arm. He had been on the injury report last week with a shoulder injury, then practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday and Thursday before being a full participant Friday.
Even with the injury, Sieler finished the game with one tackle, on a 3-yard loss on a Gibbs run. He did not get credited on the play that helped create Josh Uche’s third-down sack in the first half, but his initial pressure on Jared Goff forced the quarterback out of the pocket and set it up.
The injury wipes out any chance of a trade before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline, though reports had already indicated the Dolphins had no intention of moving him.
Sieler signed his extension in September 2025 and has three years left on the deal. His cap number next year is $20.8 million, with no guaranteed salary remaining, which could make him a candidate for a restructure.
For Miami, the short-term reality is simple: the Dolphins are now without their best defensive lineman.
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