Due to season-ending injuries to their top three edge rushers, the Dolphins find themselves revamping their outside linebacker group at an unusual juncture. Following the recent addition of Justin Houston on Tuesday, the Miami team is set to bring in two more edge defenders.
NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports that Bruce Irvin is set to join the Dolphins, and the team is also re-signing Malik Reed. Reed, formerly with Vic Fangio’s squad in Denver, had a prior stint with Miami earlier in the year and will join the practice squad, while Irvin, a veteran with experience on six other teams, will be added to Miami’s 53-man roster.
The Dolphins have faced setbacks since Thanksgiving, losing Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb, and Andrew Van Ginkel. This situation draws parallels to Fangio’s time with the Broncos, where key edge rushers Chubb and Von Miller were seldom available together. Despite the challenges, the 11-6 Dolphins are gearing up for the wild-card round with a lineup of 30-somethings to put pressure on Patrick Mahomes.
Bruce Irvin, at 36, is on his seventh team, having recently resumed his career as a pass rusher for the Lions. After joining the Lions’ practice squad in November and playing in two games, Irvin is now poised for a role in Miami. Similarly, Malik Reed, 27, who previously played for Fangio in Denver, represents a younger presence in an outside linebacker group that now includes veterans like Houston, Melvin Ingram (recently re-signed at 34), and Emmanuel Ogbah (benched this season at 30). Despite the unconventional setup, the Dolphins are adapting creatively to the challenges posed by injuries, with the recent addition of Irvin and the reacquisition of Reed.