Dolphins’ Armstead updates situation with his toe. And Gesicki addresses ESPN trade report

For the first time in more than a month, Terron Armstead was back on the Dolphins’ practice field Thursday.

And while he stopped short of saying he definitely will play Sunday against Pittsburgh, his ability to participate on a limited basis during Thursday’s session was a very good sign, five weeks after he sustained a toe injury in the opener against New England.

“Still dealing with it for sure,” said Armstead, who played 3 1/2 games with the injury, then left eight snaps into the fifth game (against the Jets) and sat out the Dolphins’ sixth game last Sunday against the Vikings.

“It’s getting better,” he said. “If I’m going to play, I’m playing. If I can go out and do my job, I’m doing it, no matter what I’m dealing with. It was great being out there with the team, get some practice.”

Armstead declined to specify the exact injury but said it involves more than discomfort.

“Painful for sure,” he said. “It started being a little more than that. Lack of function, made it hard to do my job. Couldn’t use it at one point, so it wasn’t smart to keep going. Give it some time and we’re still working.”

Armstead met a toe specialist in New York on Monday and got “a lot of information. We tried to take some steps to move forward. It’s getting better. It’s been a challenge and frustrating.”

Does he believe it will linger all year? “I hope not. We’re doing everything, getting to as optimal as possible to be able to play week to week.”

Mike McDaniel has said that he generally doesn’t like using players who haven’t practiced all week but makes an exception for a few players, including Armstead, who started four games this season without practicing at all the previous week.

“I appreciate the trust and confidence,” Armstead said. “I have experience doing so, probably not this long a stretch, not stepping on [a practice field] in 30 days. I take pride in my preparation, taking care mentally of everything I need to do, knowing the game plan inside and out to be able to execute.

“I haven’t practiced since the Patriots game, which is crazy. In season, I’m playing games but still knocking the rust off. I need the practice as much as possible.”

With Armstrong sidelined this past Sunday, Greg Little filled in at left tackle and allowed nine pressures and three sacks, according to Pro Football Focus.

Austin Jackson - who’s on injured reserve and has missed five games with an ankle injury - practiced two days last week but hasn’t appeared at three practices since then.

GESICKI ON TRADE REPORT

Tight end Mike Gesicki has handled his reduced role like a professional this season, never complaining about his drop in snaps (from 72 percent of Miami’s offensive plays last season to 52 this season) or his drop in stats (73 catches, 780 yards in 17 games last season to 15, 170 in six games this season).

In this new offensive system, tight ends are asked to block more, and Gesicki’s specialty is receiving.

ESPN reported this week that the Dolphins would listen to trade inquiries about Gesicki. He said he hasn’t asked the Dolphins for clarity on that, as the NFL’s Nov. 1 trade deadline approaches.

“I kind of go about my business, whatever happens happens,” he said Thursday. “I’ve been here five years now. I love it here. I’m happy to be here. If I stay here, which I would assume I would, I’m excited to continue to be here and make plays and help the team win and move forward the rest of the season.”

Gesicki is playing on a one-year, $10.8 million franchise tag and will be a free agent in March. Has he given any thought to asking for a trade?

“Nah,” he said. “I think these coaches understand what I’m capable of. Sunday was a good showing of that [when he caught two touchdowns]. I don’t know when the opportunities are going to come but I have to keep preparing as if they’re going to come every snap I’m out there.

“They came and I made some plays and hopefully that will continue to develop. I’m just trying to build trust with everybody upstairs. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. People think they’re entitled to things when they’re already made plays” but Gesicki indicated that’s not the case with him.

Has anyone close to him pushed him to ask for a trade?

“I just kind of go about my business. I know the situation I’m in right now. I have to do whatever I can to help the team. I kind of handle myself like a professional. I know how this business goes. I’ve been up and down a ton of times in my career. It’s not really new to me.”

The good news for Gesicki: He already has more touchdowns this season (three) than all of last season (two). He had six catches for 69 yards Sunday; his snaps increased with his buddy Durham Smythe sidelined by a hamstring injury.

“Earlier in the year, when we were trying to get him the ball, there was an issue, whether it was pressure on the quarterback or not at the depth at the right time,” offensive coordinator Frank Smith said. “Mike maximized his opportunities last week, and we’re looking forward to trying to continue to do that…. You see glimmers in his blocking as well.”

▪ Three Dolphins did not practice on Thursday: Emmanuel Ogbah (back), Keion Crossen (knee) and Sam Eguavoen (illness). Nine were limited: Armstead, Jaylen Waddle, Kader Kohou, Jerome Baker, Greg Little, Zach Sieler, Durham Smythe, Skylar Thompson and Christian Wilkins.

Ogbah, who hasn’t practiced this week, sustained a back injury in the Vikings game, left briefly and then returned to the game.

With Trey Flowers placed on injured reserve this week, the Dolphins are down to Raekwon Davis and John Jenkins as fully healthy defensive linemen. (The Dolphins’ top three edge players who are listed as linebackers are fine: Melvin Ingram, Jaelan Phillips and Andrew Van Ginkel.)

There are four defensive line on the Dolphins’ practice squad: Ben Stille, Big Kat Bryant, Josiah Bronson and Jaylen Twyman.