Dolphins safety Brandon Jones out for the year with ACL injury

During his Wednesday afternoon press conference, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed that safety Brandon Jones would be out for the remainder of the season with an ACL injury.

“Yeah, it was his ACL...and we’re not planning on him returning this season”, McDaniel said.

“In situations like this, you feel absolutely terrible for a guy that was playing at a very high level. The good news, about him in particular, when things like this happen to people like him, they tend to come out finding a way to be better — somehow, some way.”

Losing a player as versatile as Brandon Jones can be hard on a team. The 24-year-old —former third-round draft pick — has become a versatile piece in Josh Boyer’s defense. McDaniel spoke about Jones' importance to this team and Miami’s defense.

“Today, watching some of our game with the team...You could hear the hurt with the team when his highlights would come on because there was a ton of them. I do know people like him find a way to be even better than they were before. But it’s a shame...it’s hard to give the credit it deserves to what he was doing on the field for our group. The whole team felt that.”

Jones will finish the season with 49 total tackles, two sacks, one tackle for loss, three pass breakups (a career-high), and one forced fumble.

Now, the Dolphins will have to rely on a trio of safeties in Eric Rowe, Clayton Fejedelem, and Verone McKinley III to fill the void left behind in Jones’ absence. All three players are capable, but it still won’t be the same as watching #29 playing with his hair on fire.

Get well soon, Brandon Jones

What are your thoughts on the Miami Dolphins losing safety Brandon Jones for the season? Who do you think steps up in his absence? Will Miami’s defense take a noticeable step back without the playmaking safety? Let us know in the comments section below!

P.S. All quotes were transcribed by me, Josh Houtz