Fins LB Baker ‘week-to-week’ but will avoid IR

Last updated: 2023/12/05 at 10:54 PM

BigP Published December 5, 2023

Marcel Louis-Jacques, ESPNDec 5, 2023, 05:48 PM ET
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MIAMI — Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker is considered “week-to-week” after suffering a knee injury in Sunday’s win over the Commanders, head coach Mike McDaniel said Tuesday.

Baker left Sunday’s game after taking a hit to the knee in the first half and did not return. McDaniel said Baker is dealing with an injury to his MCL, but it’s not considered to be season-ending and will not require placement on injured reserve.

The 2018 third-round pick is Miami’s third-leading tackler with 69 and ranks second on the team with two interceptions. He signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract in 2021.

“It’ll be nonsurgical and we’ll be taking it week by week,” McDaniel said.

McDaniel also announced starting right guard Rob Hunt is “week-to-week” after aggravating the hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games earlier this season.

McDaniel called Hunt’s injury “unique” because of how conservative the team was with his original return from injury, saying his staff did not anticipate Hunt having a setback.

“It was a unique situation where the defense brought a different blitz pattern,” McDaniel said, describing the play Hunt was injured on. “He had to kind of recover in a unique way … It was extremely stressful and pretty abnormal for him to have to open his gait as much as he did.”

McDaniel said the Dolphins will “go back to our conservative nature” with Hunt’s upcoming recovery.

Miami hosts the Tennessee Titans on Monday (8:15 p.m., E.T., ESPN) as the top seed in the AFC.