Tagovailoa, Hill and Waddle among Dolphins who sit out preseason loss to Falcons

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receivers Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill were more than two dozen Dolphins who did not play in the team’s 19-3 preseason-opening loss to the Atlanta Falcons at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday night.

The following players also didn’t play: linebackers Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Andrew Van Ginkel, Duke Riley, David Long Jr. and Jerome Baker; defensive backs Jalen Ramsey, Xavien Howard, Kader Kohou, Jevon Holland, Brandon Jones, Trill Williams, Justin Bethel, Keion Crossen and Ethan Bonner; backs Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr. and Alec Ingold; offensive linemen Terron Armstead, Connor Williams, Robert Hunt, Dan Feeney and Kendall Lamm; defensive linemen Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler and Raekwon Davis; wide receivers Robbie Chosen and Braylon Sanders and tight end Durham Smythe.

Waddle left Thursday’s joint practice with Atlanta, under his own power, with what appeared to be an injury or discomfort on the right side of his body, near his waist. After the game, McDaniel said Waddle has a midsection injury but it is not serious.

“You never want to see anyone ever get injured,” McDaniel said, “but he’s banked enough quality reps that I’m not really worried about his participation within the offense. We’re fortunate that it’s not something that will be a long-term deal. He’s steadily rehabbing and working with the trainers, which fires me up.”

Ramsey, Riley, Crossen, Bonner and Sanders are all sidelined by disclosed or apparent injuries.

Williams this week stopped wearing a red, non-contact jersey in practice while Jones continues to wear one. Both have been limited to start training camp in their return from ACL tears they sustained last year.

Chosen was not among the list of players not expected to play but did not take the field. McDaniel said Chosen was practicing during the week with injuries and the team decided to sideline him on Friday night.

With Tagovailoa sidelined, Mike White started and played the entire first half, and Skylar Thompson played the entire second as the two quarterbacks compete to back up Tagovailoa.

Notable veterans who did play included offensive linemen Austin Jackson, Liam Eichenberg and Isaiah Wynn; wide receivers Braxton Berrios and Cedrick Wilson Jr.; defensive backs DeShon Elliott and Eli Apple and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah.

Smith impresses, then leaves injured

Rookie cornerback Cam Smith finished out his first taste of full-speed NFL action with an impressive goal-line defensive sequence Friday and appeared to be doing it while hurt.

In the third quarter, Smith dropped Falcons running back Carlos Washington Jr. for a 3-yard loss on third down, then helped cover an incomplete pass on fourth down to force a turnover on downs. He got up and limped to the sideline, where he went into the blue injury tent and eventually back to the locker room for the rest of the game.

Throughout most of the sequence, Smith seemed to be dealing with some sort of discomfort.

McDaniel said that Smith, the No. 51 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is dealing with a shoulder injury and that the team will undergo tests to determine the severity of the ailment.

Earlier in the third, Smith also made a great play to break up a pass intended for Atlanta wide receiver Josh Ali, sniffing out a play-action rollout to dive in front of a throw by Falcons quarterback Logan Woodside when much of the defense followed the fake in the opposite direction.

Berrios also left the game in the second quarter after he was hit high on a punt return while sliding. He said after the game that he passed a concussion test but needed stitches for his forehead.