Miami Dolphins injuries: Linebacker Jerome Baker headed to IR with knee injury

The Miami Dolphins are placing linebacker Jerome Baker on injured reserve, potentially ending his 2023 season.

• By
  
  Kevin Nogle
  
• on December 9, 2023 12:42 pm

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel announced the team is moving linebacker Jerome Baker to injured reserve on Saturday. The move comes after a knee injury sidelined Miami’s inside linebacker and defensive signal caller during the team’s Week 13 game against the Washington Commanders. In the second quarter of the game, Baker was chasing Commanders wide receiver Curtis Samuel down the sideline when safety Brandon Jones tried to make a hit on the receiver, pushing him out of bounds. In the play, Jones crashed into the side of Baker’s knee.

Baker was diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral ligament, but surgery is not expected to be required and he was being considered week-to-week for a potential return. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be back sooner than you think,” Baker wrote on X, former Twitter, after the game last week.

Miami added linebacker depth on Saturday. signing Calvin Munson off the Patriots practice squad. Munson joining the Dolphins marks the third time he has been with Miami. He joined Miami off New England’s practice squad in 2019, sticking with the team until the Patriots signed him off the Dolphins’ practice squad in 2021. When the Patriots attempted to move Munson to their practice squad late in the 2021 season, the Dolphins claimed him off waivers. He was released from injured reserve by Miami during the 2022 season, with him returning to the Patriots practice squad until today’s move.

Baker was a third-round pick by Miami in the 2028 NFL Draft. In his six seasons with the Dolphins, he has appeared in 93 games, starting 82 of them, with 578 tackles, 22.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, 21 passes defensed, and five interceptions with two touchdowns. He is third on the team with 69 tackles this season, trailing linebacker David Long, Jr., (78) and safety Jevon Holland (70).

Miami has just one IR return designation remaining this season. McDaniel did not rule out using that spot on Baker as the team moves into a potential playoff run. Under NFL rules, Baker will be required to miss at least four games before he can return from the injured reserve list, making him eligible to return as early as the team’s Week 18 game against the Buffalo Bills.

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