Dolphins’ Jeff Hafley won’t make any Kenneth Grant injury return promises after IR designation

The Miami Dolphins will begin the 2026-27 season without former first-round pick Kenneth Grant after the club placed him on the IR due to an undisclosed lower-leg injury. He’ll miss at least the first four weeks of the campaign, and it sounds like it could be more.

Head coach Jeff Hafley kept his response vague when asked if the 22-year-old defensive tackle would be ready to return immediately once he’s eligible, according to Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post. At the very least, the Dolphins are optimistic about a quick return for Grant, but are keeping all possible avenues open for now.

“Dolphins are hopeful Kenneth Grant will return after four weeks but ‘we’ll see,’ Jeff Hafley says,” Schad reported.

Grant was the club’s first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The former Michigan Wolverine star went No. 13 overall that year and is expected to play a pivotal role on the team’s defensive line for years. Kenneth Grant appeared in all 17 games last season, but only started in five games. He ended the campaign with 33 combined tackles (15 solo) and two sacks.

Until he returns, the Dolphins are likely to start Jordan Phillips and Zach Sieler in the defensive tackle positions in Jeff Hafley’s 4-3 defense. Zeek Biggers and Keith Cooper Jr. are expected to rotate in off the bench.

While the defensive tackle role is without its young star, the Dolphins quarterback room got more clarity on Tuesday. After switching things around via trade, reports indicate that Kyle McCord is entering the season as the club’s backup quarterback, per Schad. Malik Willis will start, as expected, and Brady Cook will be QB3 on the roster.

“Kyle McCord is QB2 for Dolphins, coach Jeff Hafley confirms,” Schad said on X.

The Dolphins will kick off the new season with a Week 1 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders on the road. It’s a matchup between two rebuilding rosters with low expectations this year.

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