Tag: Kader Kohou

Kendall Fuller: Dolphins secondary ‘need to get things fixed’

Despite having a fully healthy secondary, the Dolphins defense still allowed the Jets pass game to find success.

Dolphins cornerback Kendall Fuller returned to the field Sunday after missing three games with a concussion. The Dolphins finally had a fully healthy cornerback lineup with starters Fuller, Jalen Ramsey, and Kader Kohou all in action.

However, despite having their ideal lineup the Dolphins secondary struggled to contain the Jets wide receiver duo of Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams.

Wilson recorded 114 yards on seven receptions, while Adams recorded nine receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown. Aaron Rodgers passed for over 300 yards for the first time since 2021.

“Kader has been in the league three years, me and Jalen both nine years, there’s days where you look at the film and you’re like, ‘Dang, we could have been better,'” Fuller said. “You don’t necessarily reconcile it. When you leave the game, you know you could’ve done better.

“It always feels good to correct things and know that you need to get things fixed after a win. I mean after the game, we just know different things that we’ve got to work on, get better to be better for next Sunday.”

The Dolphins needed a clutch fourth quarter and overtime performance from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami offense to grind out the victory. The saving grace for the Dolphins defense was that it did enough when backed up in its own territory to force a few field goals instead of touchdowns.

Miami’s upcoming matchup presents another challenge for the secondary with the Houston Texans’ wide receiver duo of Nico Collins and Tank Dell.

Fuller, along with the rest of the Dolphins secondary will have to do a better job shutting down the passing game led by second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud. Otherwise, Tagovailoa will have to continue to play nearly perfect football to keep the Dolphins playoff hopes alive.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Raheem Mostert, 5 other Dolphins inactive for Week 14 vs. Jets

The Dolphins ruled out veterans Raheem Mostert and River Cracraft against the Jets.

The Miami Dolphins officially ruled out running back Raheem Mostert, along with five other players for a Week 14 game against the New York Jets.

Mostert was listed as questionable for the contest with a hip injury, but reports earlier Sunday indicated he wasn’t going to be able to play. But Mostert was one of four Dolphins players who entered game day as questionable and the other three — offensive tackle Terron Armstead, cornerback Kader Kohou, and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. — are all active and in the lineup.

Instead, it’s veteran wide receiver River Cracraft who is the relatively surprising active scratch for Miami.

With kickoff 90 minutes away, here are the players ruled out by each team:

Dolphins inactives

  • QB Skylar Thompson (3rd QB)
  • CB Ethan Bonner
  • RB Raheem Mostert
  • OL Andrew Meyer
  • TE Jack Stoll
  • WR River Cracraft

Jets inactives

  • RB Breece Hall
  • WR Malachi Corley
  • OL Xavier Newman
  • CB Qwan’Tez Stiggers
  • EDGE Braiden McGregor
  • CB Sauce Gardner

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Mike McDaniel ‘optimistic’ 5 injured Dolphins will play in Week 14

The Dolphins may have a pretty healthy lineup Sunday against the Jets.

The Miami Dolphins had a positive injury report Thursday with only one player absent from their session, and head coach Mike McDaniel provided even more good news at his Friday press conference.

According to McDaniel, he expects very few of the team’s injured players to be unavailable Sunday against the New York Jets. He’s feeling good about the likelihood that cornerbacks Kendall Fuller and Kader Kohou, offensive linemen Terron Armstead and Kendall Lamm, and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. are all ready to go in Week 14.

“Hopeful that he’ll be through [the concussion protocol] this afternoon,” McDaniel said of Fuller. “So we’ll wait and see on that.”

“I’m optimistic about both [Kohou and Walker],” McDaniel said. “But that’s assuming there’s no setbacks and how they feel after [practice], but it’s been positive for them this week.”

“We’ll make sure that he’s feeling good and I’m not going to put him out there if he’s not capable, but I feel optimistic about it,” McDaniel said of Armstead.

“Kendall Lamm has had a good week in terms of getting his body right,” McDaniel said. “I feel optimistic about him too.”

The Dolphins were without both Fuller and Walker during their Thanksgiving game against the Green Bay Packers, and both Kohou and Lamm exited early with injuries. Armstead has been consistently absent from practices, but has played through his knee injury on a weekly basis.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Dolphins ‘pessimistic’ about starting CB’s chances of Week 12 return

The Dolphins will probably have to rely on Storm Duck and Kader Kohou to pick up the slack again in Week 11.

The Miami Dolphins expect they’ll likely be without starting cornerback Kendall Fuller for another week.

“He was sweating on the bike a little bit, but it’s hard to say. I would be pessimistic about this week, but we’ll see,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said of Fuller on Wednesday.

Fuller, 29, missed the Dolphins’ Week 11 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders due to a concussion suffered the week prior. It’s the second concussion of the season for the cornerback, who previously missed a Week 4 game against the Tennessee Titans before returning in Week 5.

With Fuller out of action last week, the team relied on veteran Kader Kohou and undrafted rookie Storm Duck to pick up the slack. Second-year cornerback Cam Smith was on the field for seven snaps.

Presumably, it’ll be a similar formula against the New England Patriots if Fuller remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Fuller signed a two-year deal with the Dolphins in the offseason after playing the last four seasons with the Washington Commanders. In eight games, his 69.5 grade on Pro Football Focus ranks sixth among Dolphins defensive players and fourth among defensive starters behind only Jalen Ramsey, Calais Campbell, and Zach Sieler.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Dolphins defenders take umbrage with ‘soft’ comment from ex teammate

While Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa brushed off comments about the team being “soft,” Dolphins defenders weren’t as forgiving.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa shrugged off comments made by DeShon Elliott about the team’s mental toughness. Dolphins defenders weren’t as forgiving.

In a podcast appearance, Elliott — who spent 2023 with Miami and is now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers — said the Dolphins were “soft as [expletive]” and mostly made up of “not mentally tough individuals.”

“Honestly man, if you want to call somebody out, go ahead and do that and drop names, but other than that, it’s whatever makes your boat float, whatever allows you to have a good night of sleep,” Dolphins safety Jevón Holland told reporters Wednesday. “But if you’re not naming nobody, you’re not calling nobody out, then all the rest of the comments are just empty. You’re just talking at that point.”

While Elliott’s criticisms were more pointed, he wasn’t the first to make that kind of statement. His replacement in the starting lineup, Jordan Poyer, gave a similar review of the Dolphins just a few months after joining the team in the offseason.

“Playing against this team over the past few years, you kind of get a sense of, ‘OK, if you get on top of this team, they might fold,’” the former Buffalo Bills safety told reporters in July. “This is just being honest, so what is that that happens in those moments where we get hit in the mouth?”

Elliott spent one season with the Dolphins after beginning his career with the Baltimore Ravens.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Zach Sieler, Kader Kohou ruled out vs. Cardinals in Week 8

The Dolphins will be without one of their defensive captains Sunday.

The Miami Dolphins will be without defensive lineman Zach Sieler and cornerback Kader Kohou when they play the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8.

Sieler, a team captain who is tied for the team lead in sacks and quarterback hits, was poked in the eye during practice Thursday and is now week to week, according to Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel.

Depth along the defensive line is thin with Calais Campbell, Benito Jones, Da’Shawn Hand, and Brandon Pili as the only other four linemen on the roster. Miami doesn’t have much help stashed on the practice squad either after Naquan Jones and Jonathan Harris were signed away by the Cardinals and Carolina Panthers, respectively.

The only lineman still on the team’s practice squad is Neil Farrell, a former Raiders and Chiefs tackle who was signed by Miami in September.

Kohou suffered a neck injury in the Dolphins’ Week 7 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Undrafted rookie Storm Duck is also dealing with an injury and may be unavailable as well, although McDaniel said Friday was too early to determine his status.

“We have a bunch of guys I think are capable of [playing nickel in Kohou’s place],” Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said Thursday. “I think we have a bunch of guys that have the skill set to get the job done. It’s just really a matter of what we’re trying to do at that particular moment and who we’re going to put there.”

Weaver specifically mentioned Jalen Ramsey, Jevón Holland, Siran Neal, and Cam Smith as four players who could play in the slot, if needed.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Tyreek Hill, Zach Sieler added to Dolphins’ Thursday injury report

The Dolphins added two key players to their injury report Thursday.

Tyreek Hill and Zach Sieler were limited in the Miami Dolphins’ practice Thursday after neither appeared on the team’s injury report Wednesday.

Hill was listed with a foot issue, while Sieler had an eye problem that limited him.

The only other change for the Dolphins from their Wednesday report was Tua Tagovailoa’s participation switched from limited to full. Miami is working the quarterback back into the mix and expects him to start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, but for now, he’s still on the Dolphins’ injured reserve and is working his way through the concussion protocol.

Thursday participation

DNP

  • CB Storm Duck (ankle)
  • QB Tyler Huntley (right shoulder)
  • CB Kader Kohou (neck)

Limited

  • OL Liam Eichenberg (shoulders)
  • WR Tyreek Hill (foot)
  • S Jevón Holland (hand)
  • LB Emmanuel Ogbah (bicep)
  • DT Zach Sieler (eye)
  • WR Jaylen Waddle (quad)

Full

  • QB Tua Tagovailoa (concussion)

Another missed practice for both Duck and Kohou means it’s unlikely that either cornerback will be available Sunday against the Cardinals. According to Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, there are several players, including Jalen Ramsey, Jevón Holland, Siran Neal, and Cam Smith, who could play in the slot if both Duck and Kohou are unavailable.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Tyler Huntley, 2 Dolphins CBs sit out Wednesday practice

Five Dolphins were absent from practice Wednesday and another five were limited.

Five Miami Dolphins players sat out practice Wednesday and another five were limited, the team announced.

Veterans Terron Armstead and Calais Campbell were among the group that sat out Wednesday, although both were given rest days.The other three were quarterback Tyler Huntley, and cornerbacks Kader Kohou and Storm Duck, who sat out with shoulder, neck, and ankle injuries, respectively.

But the biggest name on the Wednesday report was quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who returned to practice for the first time since suffering a concussion in Week 2.

Wednesday participation

DNP

  • OT Terron Armstead (rest)
  • DT Calais Campbell (rest)
  • CB Storm Duck (ankle)
  • QB Tyler Huntley (right shoulder)
  • CB Kader Kohou (neck)

Limited

  • OL Liam Eichenberg (shoulders)
  • S Jevón Holland (hand)
  • LB Emmanuel Ogbah (bicep)
  • QB Tua Tagovailoa (concussion)
  • WR Jaylen Waddle (quad)

While Tagovailoa is still in the concussion protocol and on the Dolphins’ injured reserve, it’d be a surprise if he was unavailable to play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

The bigger question marks are the Dolphins’ pair of cornerbacks, although the return of 2023 second-round pick Cam Smith would mitigate the blow if Kader and/or Duck are out.

Arizona’s injury report has not yet been released and this post will be updated when it’s available.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

3 Dolphins fined for unnecessary roughness vs. Seahawks in Week 3

One of the three plays that earned Dolphins players fines in Week 3 was unpenalized by officials during the game.

Three Miami Dolphins players received fines from the NFL for unnecessary roughness violations in a Week 3 loss against the Seattle Seahawks, the league announced Saturday.

Linebacker Duke Riley received a $16,883 fine for a blindside block, fullback Alec Ingold was docked $11,817 for a low block, and cornerback Kader Kohou was fined $5,528 for a facemask. Riley and Kohou were each penalized 15 yards for their violations.

Ingold’s block didn’t draw a flag and happened on the play that resulted in a rib injury for Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson.

On the other side of the ball, two Seahawks players received fines for plays against the Dolphins. Linebacker Tyrice Knight was docked $5,490 for a horse-collar that was uncalled and cornerback Devon Witherspoon received an $11,255 fine for a late hit that was penalized.

Prior to this week, the Dolphins received just one fine in the first two weeks of the year: an $11,193 fine for safety Jordan Poyer for a Week 1 facemask penalty.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Kader Kohou earns NFL’s 5th biggest performance-based pay bonus

Kader Kohou received a $878,167 bonus from the NFL for his play in 2023.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou received a $878,167 bonus for his play in 2023 via the performance-based pay program, the NFL announced Monday. Kohou’s bonus is the fifth largest of any player in the league.

The performance-based pay program seeks to provide bonuses to players who receive a high percentage of play time, despite being on low paying contracts.

Kohou, 25, played the 2023 season on the second year of a three-year, $2.59 million contract that he signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022. After playing 938 defensive snaps (85 percent of the Dolphins’ total defensive snaps) and 43 special teams snaps (9 percent) in 2023, Kohou earned a significant bonus.

Last year, Kohou received a $705,584 bonus from the program, the highest total for any Dolphins player and 14th most in the NFL.

Kohou has appeared in 32 career games with 29 starts and has recorded one interception, one sack, one forced fumble, 10 tackles for loss, and 20 passes defended. He’s due to become a restricted free agent after the 2024 season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]