The Miami Dolphins’ starting cornerback, Kader Kohou, will miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season after struggling a knee harm throughout the crew’s follow this previous Saturday, in response to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques.
Kohou is the second member of Miami’s secondary to undergo a season-ending harm prior to now seven days. Final week, cornerback Artie Burns was dominated out for the 2025-26 marketing campaign after tearing his ACL. Additionally, safety Ashtyn Davis “will miss time” because of a non-contact leg harm.
“I noticed him ascend to a unique stage [this offseason],” stated head coach Mike McDaniel. “The timing of it – I used to be crushed till I talked to Kader, and truthfully, Kader made me really feel a little bit bit higher, just by his mindset. You don’t know the whys on a regular basis when issues occur, and I get involved for guys who get caught in that world of a fixation for ‘alternatives misplaced.’ Kader’s mindset triggered like that, to the place he stated, ‘That is robust, however I assure I’m going to come back again higher.’ That’s the strategy to strategy each the sport of soccer and life.”
Kader Kohou joined the Miami Dolphins in 2022 as an undrafted free agent. Since getting into the NFL, he has appeared in 47 video games. Final season was arguably Kohou’s finest after he recorded two interceptions, eight move deflections, and a compelled fumble in 9 begins.
The Dolphins’ secondary is screwed
With Kohou’s harm, the Dolphins will open the 2025-26 season with none secondary starters from final 12 months. They traded Jalen Ramsey to the Steelers, let Jevon Holland stroll in free company, and launched Kendall Fuller. In the meantime, Jordan Poyer stays unsigned as a free agent.
I’ve by no means seen a crew this decimated throughout the board in any respect main defensive again positions. First, they misplaced Artie Burns, who was signed to a one-year contract this low season. In all chance, he would’ve competed for one of many beginning cornerback spots. Now, Kohou is gone too, which implies Mike Hilton – whom the Dolphins signed two days in the past – will in all probability be the crew’s beginning cornerback. Ashtyn Davis is anticipated to overlook a while (no matter meaning), so rookie fifth-rounder Dante Dealer Jr. will in all probability need to step up and be a starter in his absence. I doubt that was the plan for him when he was initially drafted.
From a defensive again standpoint, this has been a disastrous low season for Miami. They removed their clear-cut finest cornerback for a top-flight security in Minkah Fitzpatrick. Although he’s a Professional Bowl-caliber participant, having an excellent cornerback is extra invaluable to defensive sport plans than having an elite security. A top-notch cornerback can generally remove a whole aspect of the sector if he’s ok. That’s virtually by no means the case in terms of safeties.
Dolphins followers ought to be very involved concerning the crew’s defensive prowess going into this season. One of many largest explanation why they had been in a position to stay aggressive final 12 months, even with out Tua Tagovailoa, was due to the protection, which was ninth in passing yards allowed and dashing yards allowed. This season, although, anticipate them to surrender much more yards, particularly by the air.
It’s additionally price noting that the ‘Phins had been one of many league’s worst groups when it got here to forcing turnovers. They had been twenty seventh in takeaways and tied for twenty second in interceptions. With this slew of latest accidents, interceptions can be even tougher to come back by this season in South Florida.
Mike McDaniel goes to need to placed on a training masterclass if he needs his squad to return to the playoffs for the primary time since January 2024. McDaniel must scheme up some spectacular offensive play calls to maintain Miami aggressive as a result of they’re going to have a whole lot of points on the defensive aspect of the ball throughout the 2025-26 marketing campaign.
