Dolphins Rumors: Why Jalen Ramsey Likely to Return from Injury Sooner Than Expected

The nature of the meniscus injury to Jalen Ramsey made a big difference for the Miami Dolphins star in terms of his recovery timeline.

The three-time All-Pro underwent surgery in the offseason and has yet to suit up in 2023. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport laid out how the finer details of the procedure carried significant implications.

"While the assumption was that Ramsey had a displaced meniscus tear, which would necessitate a full repair as opposed to a trim, that was not the case," Rapoport reported Sunday. "Sources say Ramsey suffered an outer rim meniscal tear, which is dramatically different than a displaced tear and can be repaired via a trim."

Rapoport added the displaced tear can require a rehab period of five or six months compared to as little as 12 weeks for the outer rim tear.

Ramsey began practicing this week to take a major step toward his Dolphins debut. While he's out for Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, he has a 21-day window to be added to the active roster. Should that window close without him getting activated, he'll have to stay on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

Given all of the factors at play, it seems unlikely the 28-year-old will immediately be back to his best should he come off IR within the next three weeks. That's a lot to ask of a player on a new team who has missed nearly half of the campaign.

But Ramsey might be peaking at just the right time as the Dolphins are putting the finishing touches on their playoff preparations. Miami sits first in the AFC East at 5-1 and is well on pace to punch a postseason ticket for the second successive year.