Dolphins' Jalen Ramsey Wants to Beat Injury Recovery Timetable by a Month, HC Says

Miami Dolphins star Jalen Ramsey is looking to return to an NFL field well ahead of the doctors' projections after undergoing meniscus surgery.

Head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Monday the six-time Pro Bowler is hopeful of coming back a month ahead of schedule:

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the initial belief was that Ramsey might be out "a few months," which would rule him out for the start of the 2023 regular season.

McDaniel remained noncommittal when asked Monday about the defensive back's recovery timeline. He told reporters the surgery went as well as could be expected but declined to give any specific target, adding the veteran defensive back "won't be rushed."

Eli Apple figures to occupy a major role in the secondary in the meantime. After Ramsey went down, the Dolphins acted quickly to sign Apple, who had 49 tackles and eight pass breakups in 15 games with the Cincinnati Bengals a season ago.

Considering the general gap between Ramsey and Apple, the former can't recuperate fast enough as Miami aims to dethrone the AFC East champion Buffalo Bills.

But the team will balance its short-term goals against the fact Ramsey is under contract through 2025. As much as he might want to accelerate his recovery, the 28-year-old won't be the one to decide when he has the green light to suit up.