The Miami Dolphins are entering the 2026 campaign without many expectations. After shedding a boatload of talent over the offseason, the Dolphins are clearly rebuilding, as they have made it a goal to clear out their salary cap and amass as much young talent and draft capital as possible.
After making 13 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, Miami is going to be relying on a crop of new players to immediately contribute in the pros. One of the higher picks the Dolphins made saw them select Louisville Cardinals wide receiver Chris Bell in the third round, but ahead of training camp, the team has made a roster move involving the talented pass catcher.
Dolphins Place Chris Bell on Active/Non-Football Injury List
Bell was one of three players selected by the Dolphins in the third round of the 2026 draft, but expectations for him aren’t too high, as he’s working his way back from a torn ACL. Considering how Miami isn’t going to be winning this upcoming season, though, it became the perfect landing spot for Bell, as he can take his time when it comes to getting back to full health.
Before his aforementioned injury, Bell put together a breakout season for Louisville in 2025. During his 11 games of action, Bell caught 72 passes for 917 yards and six touchdowns, frequently working as a big-bodied option on the outside for the Cardinals. With guys like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle no longer around, the Dolphins need new contributors to step up in the passing game.
The hope is that Bell can eventually become that, but first, he needs to fully recover from his aforementioned ACL injury. All signs indicate that Bell is progressing well in his recovery, but he won’t be ready for the start of training camp. As a result, Miami placed Bell on the active/non-football injury list on Tuesday afternoon.
“Dolphins have placed wide receiver Chris Bell on the active/non-football injury list,” Adam Schefter of ESPN shared in a post on X.
Dolphins Playing it Safe with Chris Bell
GettyThe Dolphins have placed rookie wide receiver Chris Bell on the active/non-football injury list before training camp
Miami would obviously have been thrilled had Bell been able to come in and play for the team right away, but again, this team likely isn’t going to win much in 2026. With that in mind, there’s no sense rushing Bell back if he isn’t fully ready for game action. At some point, he should be able to find his way onto the field for the Dolphins, but they are in no rush to speed up the process.
In the meantime, it looks like Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, and Tutu Atwell will be leading the way for Miami at wide receiver, with fellow rookies Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman Jr. also set to factor into the mix. In order to keep things humming on offense, some of these guys are going to have to immediately emerge as reliable targets for Malik Willis under center, which is why Bell’s status will be worth keeping tabs on as he works his way back onto the field.
Dolphins Make Roster Move Involving Rookie Wide Receiver Before Training Camp