Heading into a Thursday night matchup with the AFC East rival Buffalo Bills, the Miami Dolphins could get a helpful offensive piece back. Second-year running back Jaylen Wright, injured during the preseason, has a chance to get back to action and aid a struggling ground game.
Jaylen Wright Nearing Thursday Night Return for Sputtering Dolphins Ground Game
The Dolphins’ rushing offense hasn’t been all that effective over their first two outings. Miami is averaging 69.5 rushing yards, the fourth-fewest in the NFL and only better than the Cincinnati Bengals (47.0), Las Vegas Raiders (62.0) and Pittsburgh Steelers (62.5).
Wright’s absence is part of why things haven’t gone very smoothly in that department. He was injured during the Dolphins’ joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars during the preseason. He underwent a ‘small procedure’ on his lower leg afterward. Miami head coach Mike McDaniel provided an update on Wright’s status on a short week.
“‘Jaylen was real close last week, so I’m most optimistic about him. You let the days play out as you get ready for a Thursday night game,’ McDaniel said about Jaylen Wright,” the Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly wrote Tuesday on X.
Wright, a fourth-round draft pick, No. 120 overall in 2024, is the Dolphins’ No. 2 running back, behind De’Von Achane and ahead of rookie Ollie Gordon II. Wright appeared in 15 games a season ago, going for 249 yards on the ground. During a Week 5 tilt with the New England Patriots, Wright rumbled for 86 yards on 13 carries.
Over three seasons at Tennessee, Wright carried the ball 368 times for 2,297 yards and 18 touchdowns. He posted a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, prompting the Dolphins to trade up to add him to a speedy attack.
Achane dealt with a calf injury before the regular season began, but was good to go by the team’s season-opening loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He’s posted 85 yards on 18 carries thus far. Gordon has 12 yards on three totes.
Against the Bills, the Dolphins will be facing the NFL’s second-worst rushing defense after two weeks. Head coach Sean McDermott’s bunch has given up 338 yards, better than only the New York Giants (355) to this point. However, Buffalo has been tasked with slowing two of the league’s premier rushing quarterbacks, Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and the New York Jets’ Justin Fields, early on.
If Wright can get back on the field on Thursday night, it would be a welcome addition for an offense still figuring things out.