Miami Dolphins waive former Alabama offensive lineman

When Isaiah Wynn sustained a quadriceps injury last season, Lester Cotton went into the Miami Dolphins’ starting lineup at left guard. On Monday, the Dolphins moved Wynn from the physically-unable-to-perform list to their 53-man active roster, making him eligible to play for the first time since Oct. 23, 2023.

To make a spot for Wynn on its active roster, Miami waived Cotton, the Dolphins announced on Monday.

After filling in for Wynn with eight starts at left guard in 2023, Cotton did not return to the starting lineup this season. He had played 60 offensive snaps in 2024, divided between two games entered after left guard Robert Jones got hurt.

Cotton also was on the field for 49 special-teams plays this season.

Cotton has been waived five previous times during his NFL career.

Cotton entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the Oakland Raiders after starting for two seasons at Alabama, including for the 2017 CFP national championship team. Cotton came to Alabama as a 2014 Parade All-American and an All-State selection at Central-Tuscaloosa.

Cotton played one special-teams snap as a rookie in 2019 and got on the field for 11 plays as a practice-squad callup in four games in 2021. In 2020, Cotton failed to make the regular-season roster coming out of the preseason and was not re-signed for the practice squad as he was in 2019 and 2021.

Cotton played 23 offensive snaps in the Raiders’ season-opening game in 2022, then made his first NFL start at right guard in the second contest. After that, Cotton’s action was limited to 40 special-teams plays in eight games before he went on injured reserve on Dec. 3 and was waived on Dec. 15.

Picked up by the Dolphins on Dec. 20, 2022, for their practice squad, Cotton was pressed into duty for a postgame start at left guard in Miami’s 34-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Last season, Cotton appeared in every game for Miami and played 616 offensive snaps.