Grant Injury Growing in Concern
Hafley was hopeful 4 weeks would be enough for Grant to recover, but he didn’t seem confident
The Miami Dolphins will begin the 2026 season without Kenneth Grant, and the latest comments from head coach Jeff Hafley suggest the wait could extend beyond the minimum four games.
Miami placed Grant on injured reserve with a designation to return, meaning the defensive tackle must miss at least the first four games. When Hafley was asked Tuesday whether Grant had a good chance of returning when first eligible, however, he wouldn’t commit.
“I’m hopeful,” Hafley said. “I was hoping that he wouldn’t have to go on the injured reserve. So, I would say that I’m hopeful that he’ll be back, but we’ll see.”
That uncertainty is troubling because Miami needs Grant… and so far, Grant hasn’t rang the bell.
Dolphins Need Grant to Rise
The Dolphins drafted the massive Michigan defensive tackle 13th overall in 2025 with the expectation that he would eventually become a difference-maker in the middle of their defense. Grant played all 17 games as a rookie, starting five, and finished with 33 tackles and two sacks.
Year two was supposed to be when Grant took a significant step forward.
Instead, his offseason has gone in the opposite direction.
You can bet with the best pay per head that Grant didn’t have the training camp many hoped to see from a former first-round selection, and he failed to establish himself as the dominant interior presence Miami needs. Now an injury suffered in August has cost him valuable developmental time and at least the opening month of the season.
His absence also comes at a bad time for Miami’s defense. The Dolphins open against Las Vegas, where stopping the run should be one of their primary concerns. Without Grant, Miami will lean heavily on Zach Sieler and Jordan Phillips, with young defensive tackles Zeek Biggers and Keith Cooper Jr. providing depth.
Grant ISN’T a Bust Yet, but he is Flirting with It
None of this means Grant is a bust.
He’s only 22 years old, and defensive tackles—particularly massive interior players—can require time to develop. Writing off a first-round pick after one season and one difficult summer would be premature.
But it’s equally premature to dismiss the warning signs.
Grant was drafted 13th overall. At that position in the draft, Miami didn’t select him merely to become a serviceable rotational defensive tackle. The Dolphins need him to become an impact player.
After an underwhelming camp, the injury and now Hafley’s uncertainty about whether four games will even be enough, Grant’s trajectory isn’t moving in the right direction.
There is still plenty of time for that to change.
But when Grant finally gets back on the field, the Dolphins need to start seeing the player they believed was worth the 13th overall pick... or next year one of the top picks might be for his replacement.
Go Phins!!!
