Bills running back James Cook (ankle) and defensive end Joey Bosa (wrist) returned to practice on Thursday. Both players were limited after sitting out on-field work Wednesday.
Cook tweaked his ankle in Sunday’s victory but still played 76 percent of the snaps and rushed for 114 yards.
Coach Sean McDermott said Cook was “sore” the two days after the game.
Bosa played 44 of 60 defensive snaps on Sunday.
Cornerback Christian Benford popped up on the practice report on Wednesday with a groin injury that limited him. It is an indication that he aggravated his groin during practice, as he was out of Thursday’s session.
Benford had a groin issue leading up to the season opener.
Linebacker Terrel Bernard (ankle) had a full practice after limited work on Wednesday, and defensive back Sam Franklin was a new addition, with an illness keeping him out.
Cornerback Taron Johnson (groin) and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones (calf) returned to practice as limited participants.
Wide receiver Joshua Palmer (knee/ankle) remained limited a second day, and defensive end A.J. Espenesa (concussion) again was a non-participant.
A 2-7 start for the Dolphins led to a change at General Manager last week and there’s been plenty of discussion about other moves, including the possible benching of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has not shown an appetite for going that route and said again this week that he views Tagovailoa as the team’s starter for the long run. On Wednesday, Tagovailoa said that he doesn’t feel like convincing McDaniel or anyone else of his fitness for that role is what’s driving him right now.
“I wouldn’t say I’m playing to keep my job,” Tagovailoa said, via Alanis Thames of the Associated Press. “I think I’m playing to help our team win every time. I think that’s the objective for every quarterback that’s playing. For every football player that’s playing as well, the objective is ‘how can I help my team win games?’ So I would say if you’re looking at it in that sense, I would say my performance needs to be better. My performance doesn’t reflect me trying to keep my job because that’s not the standard I’ve been playing [to] all these other years.”
The Dolphins are on the hook for $54 million next season whether Tagovailoa is the starter or not, so finding a level of play that changes that conversation would be a welcome development during a season that’s seen little to nothing go right in Miami.
The Dolphins announced on Wednesday that they filled the roster spot they opened up by trading edge rusher Jaelan Phillips to the Eagles earlier this week.
They signed linebacker Andre Carter off of the Lions’ practice squad. Carter signed with the Lions in late August after being cut by the Raiders.
Carter had a tackle and a half-sack for the Raiders in three games last season. He played for the Vikings in 2023 and made two tackles in his 12 appearances for the NFC North team.
Bradley Chubb, Matthew Judon, and Chop Robinson remain on the roster as edge options, but Robinson will need to clear the concussion protocol before he’s able to return to action.
The Bills will not have several players available to practice on Wednesday, including their starting running back.
Head coach Sean McDermott told reporters in his press conference that James Cook is dealing with an ankle/foot injury and will be sidelined for the session.
McDermott noted that Cook’s injury came from Sunday’s victory over the Chiefs and the running back has been sore.
Cook has rushed for 867 yards with seven touchdowns this season and is currently leading the league with 5.7 yards per carry and 108.4 yards rushing per game.
Defensive end Joey Bosa is also among those who won’t practice on Wednesday due to a wrist injury.
Cornerback Taron Johnson, defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, defensive end AJ Epenesa, and linebacker Shaq Thompson also won’t practice, while receiver Joshua Palmer and linebacker Terrel Bernard are set to be limited.
Buffalo’s first injury report of the week will be released later on Wednesday.
As linebacker Jihaad Campbell said when he fell to the Eagles in round one of the draft, “The richer just got rich.”
The richer believe they got even more rich with the trade for linebacker Jaelan Phillips with the Dolphins.
In explaining the move to reporters during a Tuesday press conference, G.M. Howie Roseman said Phillips has “freakability.”
“For us, where we are as a team, what we believe is important to win a world championship and ot being a great team, it wasn’t a hard to trade to make,” Roseman said as to the former Miami first-round pick, via Zach Berman of TheAthletic.com.
Roseman confirmed that he spoke to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who ran the Dolphins’ defense in 2023. Phillips had 6.5 sacks in eight games before suffering a torn Achilles tendon during Fangio’s lone season in South Florida.
The Eagles rely on a potent pass-rush rotation. They left Milton Williams and Josh Sweat to free agency after the Super Bowl win. Phillips improves that aspect of a team that was already in the window to win another one without him.
