Dolphins' Mike Pouncey Undergoes Stem Cell Procedure for Hip Injury

Miami Dolphins center Mike Pouncey underwent a stem cell procedure as part of his recovery from a season-ending hip injury, the Palm Beach Post's Joe Schad reported Monday. 

According to ESPN.com's James Walker, Pouncey's rehab is progressing as expected and that Dolphins head coach Adam Gase expects to have Pouncey healthy for the first week of the regular season.

Speculation about Pouncey's health began after he was seen using crutches at Aaron Hernandez's funeral Monday afternoon. Schad shared a photo of the six-year veteran from Twitter user Brad Timmons: 

Pouncey only played five games in 2016 before hip problems forced him to go on injured reserve.

The Miami Herald's Adam H. Beasley argued the fact the Dolphins didn't sign a replacement for Pouncey in free agency is a sign of the team's confidence in his overall recovery.

At the NFL's annual owners' meeting in March, Gase told reporters he and the Dolphins coaching staff wouldn't rush Pouncey back to the field and that any missed time during training camp and the preseason wouldn't be an issue.

"Mike doesn't need a lot of practice reps," Gase said, per Schad. "We're going to do what we need to do to make sure he's ready. And after that I'm going to find out how many snaps we need him to take, if any. And then my goal is to get him out there on Sunday."

Miami opens the regular season at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 10. The Dolphins' first preseason game is scheduled for Aug. 10 against the Atlanta Falcons.

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