The Miami Dolphins will get a second rookie back when they face the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Safety Kyle Louis was activated off injured reserve Saturday, meaning he’ll be ready to return to action for the first time since sustaining a knee injury in the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. Louis’ availability had been trending positively all week, culminated by his full participation in practice Friday, though he remained listed as questionable on the final injury report of the week.
Along with activating Louis, the Dolphins also made their two weekly practice squad elevations, this time with edge defender Max Llewellyn and kicker Zane Gonzalez.
The move with Gonzalez basically was a given since the Dolphins don’t have a kicker on the 53-man roster after releasing Riley Patterson on Tuesday, while the move with Llewellyn suggests that Rob Beal Jr. will miss a fourth consecutive game because of the hamstring injury he sustained in the Week 2 loss against the San Francisco 49ers. He was listed as doubtful on the Dolphins’ final injury report of the week.
Llewellyn, the rookie seventh-round pick out of Iowa, will be making his second appearance. He played five snaps in the 35-13 loss at Levi’s Stadium.
THE OUTLOOK FOR LOUIS
Louis will become the fifth safety on the active roster, joining Dante Trader Jr., rookie Michael Taaffe, Zayne Anderson and Julius Wood.
A linebacker at the University of Pittsburgh, Louis was switched to safety at some in training camp and in an ideal world he could become a good nickel defender because of his coverage ability. Before he was injured, Louis also had become a gunner on the punt team.
Given that he hasn’t played since the opener, it’s probably fair to expect Louis to play mostly, if not exclusively, on special teams against the Jets.
But regardless it’s great to have him back.
He is the third player the Dolphins have designated to return from IR so far this season after DT Kenneth Grant and LB Trey Moore. Grant also has returned to the active roster, while Moore remains on IR and was designated to return on the day of the cuts to 53 to preserve a roster spot for somebody else.
Each team is allowed eight IR designations in the regular season.
DOLPHINS 2026 PRACTICE SQUAD ELEVATIONS
Week 1 (at Las Vegas) — Edge Clelin Ferrell (1st)
Week 2 (at San Francisco) — Edge Clelin Ferrell (2nd), Edge Max Llewellyn (1st)
Week 3 (vs. Kansas City) — Edge Clelin Ferrell (3rd), LB Liam Anderson (1st)
Week 4 (at Minnesota) — DT Mazi Smith (1st), EDGE Rodney McGraw (1st)
Week 5 (vs. Cincinnati) — RB Carlos Washington Jr. (1st), EDGE Rodney McGraw (2nd)
Week 7 (at N.Y. Jets) — EDGE Max Llewellyn (2nd), K Zane Gonzalez (1st)
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