Isaiah Wynn will make a return to an NFL active roster for the first time in 13 months. Down for over a year due to a quad injury, the Dolphins guard is back on the team’s 53-man squad.
Miami is activating Wynn from the reserve/PUP list and waiving offensive lineman Lester Cotton. Wynn had worked as the Dolphins’ left guard starter when healthy last season, but it has been a long road back for the former first-round pick. Because this is a PUP list activation, the Dolphins will not lose one of their injury activations. Only IR and NFI moves count against that total.
The Dolphins have now given Wynn two one-year contracts, the second of which at a slightly lower rate due to the significant injury sustained. Wynn re-signed with Miami for $1.89MM, factoring in an expected in-season absence. Like Bradley Chubb‘s, that absence has proven lengthy. Wynn has not played since Oct. 22, 2023.
Wynn, 29 next month, had not come to Florida with much momentum due to struggling during his New England contract year. Wynn nevertheless won the Dolphins’ left guard job out of training camp last year, playing opposite Robert Hunt. The latter departed for a monster Panthers contract this offseason, leading Miami to make adjustments up front.
Absent Wynn, the Dolphins have used the re-signed Robert Jones at LG and Liam Eichenberg at RG. It will be interesting to see if Miami deems Wynn a starter again or uses him as a swingman behind its current first-stringers. Wynn has worked as a starter for most of his career, though he has primarily played left tackle as a pro. Pro Football Focus grades neither Jones nor Eichenberg as a top-40 option at guard, slotting the latter in the bottom 15 among regulars at the position.
Cotton had been a swingman this season, playing in all 11 games as a backup. The Dolphins had rostered the ex-Raiders draftee since 2022 and likely would be interested in keeping him around on the practice squad, assuming the sixth-year blocker clears waivers. Cotton made eight starts last season, primarily filling in for Wynn after the midseason setback.