Miami Dolphins star center Mike Pouncey was the only fungible piece in a dysfunctional offensive line last season, and he’s supposed to be one of the lynchpins of a vastly improved line that includes a first-round pick, a big-name free agent signing, and a solid free-agent signing next to him at guard. But Pouncey is currently recovering from hip surgery to repair a torn labrum and was initially expected to miss the first month of the regular season.
Phin Phanatic
Unfortunately, it now looks like the 24-year-old, who is not expected to be suspended by the NFL for his involvement in the team’s bullying scandal, could miss a large chunk of October. Per a source close to the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero, it’s “more likely” that Pouncey misses four months retroactive to his June 23rd surgery date, meaning that he might not be able to return until late October. The source added that he’ll “probably” miss eight weeks, though it’s still a bit early to get a fully accurate timetable for his return date.
This would be a tough blow to the offensive line, because it means that Pouncey could miss four more games than he was initially expected. He is a tough player with a high degree of pain tolerance and will do whatever he can to get on the field, but a torn hip labrum is definitely not an injury to be taken lightly. I wouldn’t bet against Pouncey returning sooner than late October, but I think we should anticipate that one of the game’s brightest interior offensive linemen will miss about the first half of the season.