Chris Bell’s rookie season may be headed toward a pause, and for the Miami Dolphins, that might be the safest move.
Bell, who is expected to develop into one of the better wide receivers from the 2026 draft class, has already shown enough promise to make the Dolphins’ investment in him obvious. But the bigger issue right now is health. He was working his way back from an ACL tear suffered in December of last year, and now he’s dealing with another knee injury that could keep him out of Week 10.
That leaves Miami with a simple question: why keep pushing him in a season that, as the source put it, won’t lead to anything more than a win or two?
Bell has played in eight games this year and made three starts, but the production has been modest. He’s been targeted 27 times, caught 12 passes and totaled 148 yards with no touchdowns.
He does have five first-down receptions, but the overall picture is of a player still finding his footing after a fast return from major injury. The Dolphins have been trying to give him experience, but the case for continuing that approach is getting thinner by the week.
If the team decides to hold Bell out, Jalen Tolbert is the obvious veteran option to step in. Tolbert was added in free agency and has appeared in only four games this season.
He has caught two of his four targets for 30 yards. The suggestion here is straightforward: Miami should get him off the inactive list and give him a real chance to contribute.
Bell’s practice status only added to the concern. He was downgraded from Wednesday to Thursday, going from a limited participant to out entirely.
Once he stopped practicing, the path opened for another rookie receiver, Kevin Coleman Jr., to see more work. Coleman has looked good this season when given opportunities, and the Dolphins wouldn’t appear to have much trouble leaning on him if Bell sits out.
For now, it remains unclear when Bell will be able to practice again, and it’s not a given that he returns on Friday. Miami is scheduled to travel on Saturday for its game in Indianapolis.
In Other News...
Dolphins Let A Tight End Problem Slip Away Too Soon
Elijah Higgins was one of those late-round Dolphins picks that always carried a little project-player intrigue. Miami took him in the sixth round of the 2023 draft as a wide receiver with the idea of converting him to tight end, but the experiment never got far in South Florida. He was cut before the season, and the Arizona Cardinals scooped him up off waivers.
Since then, Higgins has carved out a useful role in Arizona as a backup tight end and occasional starter, which only adds to the sense that Miami may have moved on a little quickly from a player it had already identified as a developmental fit. The Dolphins are still trying to sort out the position, with three rookie tight ends on the roster and a recent history of leaning on veterans there, so Higgins is another reminder of how thin the margin can be when a team lets a long-term gamble walk away. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Have One More Reason To Watch This Weeks Rookie QB Spotlight
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If all three take the field, it would be only the second time since 2019 that multiple quarterbacks have debuted as starters in the same week, and it would also push the seasons total to 50 different quarterbacks starting through Week 10. For Miami, McCords turn adds another layer to a season already defined by turnover at the position, and it gives fans one more reason to keep an eye on a week that could wind up being a notable one for rookie quarterbacks across the league. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Suddenly Face A Bigger Week 10 Problem Than The Colts
The Week 10 matchup with Indianapolis has taken on a strange kind of importance for Miami, one that reaches well beyond the usual midseason stakes. The Colts are approaching the trade deadline as sellers and looking ahead to the future, while the Dolphins are dealing with a growing injury list that now includes quarterback Malik Willis and defensive tackle Zach Sieler, two absences that change the feel of the game before it even kicks off.
Miami also enters as an underdog, with the betting line moving after those injuries, which only adds to the uncertainty around Sunday. Predictions from contributors are split on how it will play out, but for the Dolphins the bigger concern is less about one result than what a loss could mean in a season already drifting into uncomfortable territory. [Read more 🡒]