It appears that the Miami Dolphins have violated an NFL rule.
This week, Dolphins wide receivers coach Wes Welker disclosed that star wide receiver Tyreek Hill has been dealing with an ankle injury in addition to his wrist injury. However, that ankle injury has not been listed on the injury report all season.
“The hard part is he’s dealing with the wrist,” Welker said, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “He’s got an ankle.”
Welker further explained that as players age, injuries become more common, and they must learn how to manage them.
“There’s always stuff through the year,” Welker said. “As you get older, you get all those reps of knowing how to play the position. How do we put the best product out there on Sunday with being able to be fresh on Sunday? It’s a fine balance of being able to get that done. It’s definitely something we can revisit this offseason and come up with a plan. When guys do have stuff and are trying to play through, just trusting your players. How are you feeling today? Roll from there.”
The issue for Hill and the Dolphins is that by failing to report his ankle injury, it’s a pretty clear violation for the league’s injury reporting policy.
The NFL’s rules require teams to disclose player injuries when they become aware of them. Welker clearly had knowledge of Hill’s injury, but the injury went unreported – a clear violation of the league’s policy.
These rules have long been in place, but their significance has grown in the current era with legal sports gambling across the nation, as millions of people wager on games.
This isn’t the first time Hill and the Dolphins have neglected to properly report one of his injuries, either.
Last month, Hill appeared on the injury report for the first time with his wrist injury. However, after a game against the Los Angeles Rams, he revealed that it was an injury he’d been dealing with all season.
Given that both incidents clearly violate the NFL’s injury reporting policy, there is a chance Hill and the team could face an investigation from the league.
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