MIAMI GARDENS ― Miami Dolphins rookie receiver Chris Bell said he is having soreness in his surgically-repaired knee.
"A little soreness, a little fluid in my knee. It's been a little tight lately, so I had to do some things to get better, and they just wanna, you know what I'm saying, be cautious and stuff like that," Bell said on Thursday, Sept. 24. "So I feel better now, so I'm good."
Three days before a home opener against the Chiefs, Bell said he expects to play at Hard Rock Stadium.
Bell said he experienced the tightness in the opener and played through it.
"I have to warm up a little more than usual," said Bell, who had an ACL repaired in 2025. " So I kind of get with the strength staff and the trainers and try to get moving before I go out
there for pregame and stretch and stuff like that."
Bell said he does not view this as a setback and is ready to play more in Week 3. It's possible fellow rookie Caleb Douglas (ankle), who was not seen practicing on Thursday, does not play in the next game.
Bell has improved his conditioning but acknowledged he's not 100 percent back.
"That burst coming off the ball, I would say I'm still getting that back," Bell said.
Bell said he believes the team is being "conservative" with his return to action.
"I'm trusting in God's plan," Bell said. "I know it's going to break through soon."
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and Threads and X at @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Chris Bell says knee soreness won't keep him out of Dolphins-Chiefs
