MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was once a Denver Broncos ball boy.

OK, consider us stopped.

Because even the most casual Dolphins fans know McDaniel’s origin story.

Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s Origin Story Comes Full Circle

McDaniel, then a 10-year-old living in the Denver area, lost his hat while in an autograph scrum at Broncos training camp in 1993.

Then-Broncos video coordinator Gary McCune — a perfect stranger at the time — saw that McDaniel was upset that the hat was gone and decided to buy a replacement that he gave to the boy the next day.

MORE: Ranking the NFL’s 2-0 Teams

That act of kindness led to a romance with McDaniel’s mother, Donna. They ultimately married, providing McDaniel with both a new family member and a lasting connection with the Broncos organization.

In the years that followed, McDaniel was both a ball boy and then an intern with the Broncos, and he credits Mike Shanahan — the offensive mastermind who was Denver’s head coach — as one of his biggest influences.

Fast-forward a quarter century or so, and McDaniel — as the head coach of the 2-0 Dolphins — is preparing for the team’s home opener.

The opponent? The Broncos.

On Wednesday, McDaniel spoke about the impact the Broncos franchise has had on his life and the significance of facing that team for the first time as an occupant of the big chair for an NFL franchise.

“It’s a big part of it,” McDaniel said. “That was the team that I found my love for football with. Their jerseys were orange at the time for the most part also. Also, you know, a couple of the biggest influences I’ve had from the game of football in terms of Mike Shanahan and, by extension, Kyle Shanahan, Gary Kubiak. It’s a great franchise. I have played them before, not as a head coach.

“But what’s weird in the journey is, once you get in the business, the teams don’t feel the same. So it’s like, you don’t treat bosses the same. You know, like, technically, the organization is my boss. So it kind of loses its fandom, so to speak. But tremendous organization, and I wouldn’t be here without it.”

Los Angeles Chargers RB Austin Ekeler is a fantasy football superstar when he’s on the field. Fantasy managers selected him with a top-five pick in drafts this offseason with the expectation that he was going to help carry them — literally — to a fantasy championship.

Unfortunately, Ekeler missed Week 2 with an ankle injury. What’s the latest news surrounding Ekeler, and is the veteran RB’s availability for Week 3 in jeopardy?

Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and Start/Sit Optimizer to help you make the right decision!

Latest News Surrounding Austin Ekeler

On Tuesday, Chargers head coach Brandon Staley discussed how there was not a timeline in place for Ekeler’s return to the field. Fantasy managers hoped that he was being a bit dramatic in that statement, but the practice report from Wednesday isn’t giving them much optimism.

Chargers’ RB Austin Ekeler, who missed last week’s game due to an ankle injury, is not practicing today.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 20, 2023

Ekeler was not seen at practice as he’s working through his ankle injury, which isn’t necessarily a good sign for his availability for the Chargers’ matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.

We’ll monitor the practice reports throughout the remainder of the week and keep you updated, so make sure to check back in here frequently for the latest news.

Will Ekeler Play This Week?

At the time of writing, it’s too early to discern whether or not Ekeler will make it back in time for the Chargers’ bout against the Vikings.

Fantasy managers desperately need some good injury news, as injuries have demolished the position up to this point, but more information is needed before declaring whether or not Ekeler will be available.

What Does This Mean for Ekeler’s Fantasy Ranking?

Ekeler has taken a slight slide down rest-of-season rankings with this missed time, but he’s still an elite fantasy asset when he’s out there. As for Week 3 specifically, the practice reports will be telling as to whether or not Ekeler can be started with confidence this week.

MORE: Fantasy Football’s Week 3 Burning Start/Sit Questions

If he doesn’t play, Joshua Kelley can be looked at as a solid start in Week 3 against the Vikings’ run defense. He didn’t have a stellar performance in Week 2, but the Titans boast a much more fearsome defensive front that stifled the Chargers’ run game.

Kelley would be viewed as a top-20 option at the RB position, but make sure to stay tuned to the PFN Consensus Rankings for whether or not you should start Kelley.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Few players have been more dependable for the Miami Dolphins in the last three seasons than Jaylen Waddle.

He has started 35 of a possible 36 games since entering the league, and no Dolphins player has more receiving yards (2,535) since the start of the 2021 season.

But with Waddle still in the concussion protocol, Waddle is in real danger of missing Sunday’s Dolphins game against the Denver Broncos.

Miami Dolphins Practice Report

“Well, you know, I think I’m just gonna go home,” McDaniel joked when asked about game-planning without Waddle.

McDaniel then continued, more seriously:

“These great players afford you a ton of fortune to feature. There are a lot of players on this team, and there’s a lot of people that go about their business with complete humility and commitment to the team because a lot of guys on this team know that for us to be our very best, we have to do whatever we can for each other specifically, those guys.

“That being said there’s plenty of players that can make plays on the team. I really don’t worry nearly as much as you think about what we don’t have. It’s like 100% what we do and how to problem-solve for that.”

Terron Armstead will practice today. Also, here’s Mike McDaniel on Jaylen Waddle and Jaelan Phillips. pic.twitter.com/XIbG24bO9E

— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) September 20, 2023

Waddle suffered a concussion late in regulation of the Patriots game. He needs to clear multiple stages of the concussion protocol to be cleared to play.

Players in the protocol who show enough improvement can return to practice before being allowed to practice. Waddle is not yet at that point.

“He’s not practicing today, and I’m not really worried about the timeline,” McDaniel said. “I’m more worried about him getting right. So, not really sure when that is, nor have I tried to pick that up.”

Elsewhere, running back Salvon Ahmed (groin) is not practicing Wednesday, and his availability for Thursday is in doubt. If he cannot play Sunday, De’Von Achane and Chris Brooks would see their roles grow.

As for left tackle Terron Armstead, who has missed the first two games due to an ankle injury suffered on Aug. 17, McDaniel said:

“Terron will be in practice today. He’ll have an uptick tomorrow when the pads are on. And, so we’re full-steam ahead, we’ll, we’ll take it day by day.”

Denver Broncos vs. Miami Dolphins Injury Report

Broncos

Did Not Practice

TBD

Limited

TBD

Full

TBD

Dolphins

Did Not Practice

• RB Salvon Ahmed (groin)
• WR Jaylen Waddle (concussion)

Limited

Full