The Miami Dolphins had a low start to their ambitions for a playoff stint when they suffered a 33-8 loss against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday (September 7). For a team looking to upgrade its offensive line in order to protect quarterback Tua Tagovaiola from further injuries, guard James Daniels’s injury early in the game only made matters worse.
James Daniels’s injury
Miami Dolphins guard James Daniels (78) runs onto the field during practice at the NFL football team's training camp, (AP)
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During the first quarter of Sunday’s game, Daniels was forced to exit after suffering a pectoral injury, which kept him out for the rest of the contest. This, no doubt, must have been a tough blowback to the Dolphins, who invested in a three-year, $24 million contract despite coming off a torn ACL injury in September 2024. He had already been deemed questionable to play on Sunday due to a prior ankle injury.
How does this affect the Dolphins?
To look at the brighter side of things, reports suggest that Daniels’s pectoral injury did not result in the tearing of any muscle. Even in the best-case scenario, however, he would still be forced to sit out at least 3-4 weeks of upcoming games in order to suitably recover, leaving Tagovaiola unprotected and open to injuries on the field.
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“Source estimates Miami OG James Daniels (pec) will miss 3-4 weeks. He did not tear the pectoral muscle, which is the good news,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler posted on his social media handle.
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“Source estimates Miami OG James Daniels (pec) will miss 3-4 weeks. He did not tear the pectoral muscle, which is the good news,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler posted on his social media handle.
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This means that Daniels will be forced to sit out the following Dolphins’ games: New England Patriots (Sunday, September 14), Buffalo Bills (Thursday, September 18), and New York Jets (Monday, September 29). Depending on his recovery process, this number could suitably tweak itself as well.
Despite not being the most reliable person to fall back on, Daniels’s loss is still bound to be felt on the field.
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.
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Home/Sports/Us Sports/James Daniels injury update: Tua Tagovaiola's key guard gets crucial news ahead of Week 2
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