There may have been some cause for concern when the San Francisco 49ers added running back Kaelon Black to the injury report with a groin injury on Thursday, but head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team was just being smart with their rookie.
The injuries to the Miami Dolphins do not seem precautionary. Linebacker Ronine Harrison has not practiced this week with a hamstring injury. He didn’t play a defensive snap in Week 1, but was a mainstay on special teams.
As we’ve seen firsthand in the past, shuffling
bodies on special teams leads to mistakes and big plays for the opponent. That bodes well for Deebo Samuel and Jacob Cowing.
The big one is Chop Robinson. The Dolphins’ first-round pick from 2024 is projected to be the team’s top pass rusher. Robinson had a quarterback hit in Week 1.
But he’s currently in the concussion protocol. After being a limited participant on Wednesday, Robinson was downgraded on Thursday to not practicing, suggesting his status for Sunday’s game is in question.
Robinson played 62% of snaps in Week 1 and was the only edge defender to surpass 40 snaps for the Dolphins. Robinson’s backup is an old friend, Rob Beal Jr. After him, the edge rushers on the roster are Josh Uche and Malik Herring. So, if Robinson is out, an already thin pass rush will be even more depleted.
