Miami Dolphins First-Round Pick Carted Off the Field

The Miami Dolphins don’t need any more curveballs thrown at them this offseason. General manager Chris Grier and head coach Shane Steichen would probably love just one quiet afternoon.

That afternoon won’t be today. Second-year edge rusher Chop Robinson left today’s joint practice with the Detroit Lions on a cart. Robinson was a first-round draft pick of the Dolphins in 2024 and started to emerge as a star in the latter half of his rookie year. In the last nine games last season, only Dallas Cowboys megastar Micah Parsons was credited with more quarterback pressures.

Onlookers said that the injury appears to be related to his arm (which doesn’t necessarily explain the cart).

“They’ve called in a cart for Chop Robinson,” the Detroit-based podcast Tipped Balls posted on X. “No bueno. We know how many issues the dolphins D line has had the last few years. Favoring his arm/shoulder.”

Dolphins have high hopes for Chop Robinson

The Dolphins are not in a position to lose Robinson. In 2024, the defense was ranked No. 4 overall in yards per game and and ninth in points per game allowed. That’s great, but with the offense in flux, the Dolphins can’t afford to slip on the defensive side of the ball.

Fellow linebacker Jaelan Phillips recently predicted that the second-year man out of Penn State would become one of the best players in the NFL.

“I truly feel like Chop is going to be one of the best players in the league very soon,” Phillips said. “I think he’s a future defensive player of the year candidate. I think he already is supremely talented, but the more comfortable he gets, the more confident he gets.”

Dolphins’ defensive end Bradley Chubb agreed.

“One hundred percent,” Chubb said. “He’s lights-out, man. His motor, the way he bends the edge, the way he could play the run – I know a lot of people in here say he couldn’t play the run, (but he’s) nothing short of phenomenal, man, and I’m excited to see him keep growing.”

Dolphins pass rush lacked in 2024

Despite ranking high in the league in points and yards allowed, the Dolphins were 27th in the NFL last year in sacks. Robinson, along with Chubb and Phillips, was being counted on to help correct that. He had six sacks last year and the trio was expecting more to come in 2025.

“We call ourselves the big dogs for a reason,” Phillips said. “We’ve got to kind of be the engine for this defense and for this team.”

Robinson echoed that enthusiasm.

“I’m super excited. Just imagining the three of us on the field at the same time,” Robinson said recently. “Or just me and JP, or JP and Chubb at the same time. It’s kind of hard for tackles to (say), ‘All right, you’ve got to study JP, you’ve got to study Chubb, you’ve got to study me.’

“It’s been great. Especially those guys, since they helped me so much last year, off the field and on the field. Being out there on the field with them — they’re guys I used to watch when I was in college and everything. It’s a blessing and it’s fun to be out there with them.”

Hopefully, Robinson’s injury isn’t serious and he’ll be okay. With a Swiss cheese secondary, the Dolphins are going to need disruptions from the front seven. More on the Robinson injury as information comes out.