Miami Dolphins: Injury update for WR Tyreek Hill

Tyreek Hill is the latest Miami Dolphins wide receiver to struggle with an injury, but head coach Mike McDaniel didn't seem the least bit concerned about his condition Wednesday morning.

When asked about Hill's apparent thumb injury, McDaniel began jokingly explaining what was wrong with his All-Pro wide receiver.

“Yeah, I'm really good at thumb warfare,” McDaniel began. “He lost.”

McDaniel then became serious and explained that Hils' injury was a very minor one and that, as a precautionary measure, he would not participate in the joint practice for the final preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday night.

“I kind of hinted at it at Jalen Waddle's house, but there are certain situations when you're in training camp and you're practicing, and Tyreek could be practicing today,” McDaniel said. “But there are also times when they're at some risk of further injury because of the time and the physical condition.

“So from a medical standpoint, it's really about cooling the situation down so nothing happens at the expense of regular season games. So he's been very active, but we're trying to make sure nothing happens … we're keeping him out of harm's way.”

Hill is the latest in a long line of Dolphins wide receivers to struggle with injuries, along with Waddle, River Cracraft, Odell Beckham Jr., Tahj Washington and Braylon Sanders.

McDaniel addressed all of the wide receiver injuries earlier this week.

“There's been a little emphasis on the depth of the room, but there are other caveats,” McDaniel said. “Do we approach Jaylen Waddle the same way we would during the season? The answer is no. There are things like that that happen a lot. We have a few changes in the lineup, I think that would be a conservative way of putting it. But we're also getting a very clear picture of some very, very tough battles and giving guys opportunities.”

Cracraft's injury may have provided some clarity on the 53-man roster, as it would open the door for Erik Ezukanma, who had a great outing against Washington in his first preseason game of the summer, even if Beckham begins the regular season on the active roster.

Assuming the Dolphins keep six wide receivers, Ezukanma could join Hill, Waddle, OBJ, Braxton Berrios and sixth-round rookie pick Malik Washington, whose spot on the roster seems secure.

If Beckham starts the season at the reserve/PUP position and misses the first four games, the Dolphins could start with five wide receivers, creating another gap at another position.