The Miami Dolphins just dropped some news that’s gonna make their fans a little nervous: cornerbacks Darrell Baker Jr. and Storm Duck are both officially on the active/physically unable to perform list. It’s only July, and already we’re seeing guys sidelined, which is absolutely never what you want when you’re trying to gear up for a grueling NFL season.
What’s Up With Baker Jr.?
For Darrell Baker Jr., the team hasn’t even said what his injury is, which honestly just adds to the mystery and makes you wonder what’s really going on behind closed doors. He’s a newer face for the Dolphins, having just signed with them back in March. Before that, he put in some serious work, playing all 17 games with the Titans for two straight seasons. That’s a lot of action, and it shows you the kind of impact he can have! In 2025 alone, he racked up 724 defensive snaps and chipped in with 115 snaps on special teams, pulling down 55 tackles and getting his hands on seven passes defensed. If you look at his entire career, which also includes two seasons with the Colts, Baker Jr. has been on the field for 51 career games, starting a solid 25 of them. He’s got 123 tackles, 19 passes defensed, and even one fumble recovery to his name. It’s a pretty solid resume for a corner, so having him on the PUP list, especially with an unknown injury, is definitely a major question mark for Miami’s secondary depth as they try to get everything dialed in for the season.
Storm Duck’s Long Road Back
Then there’s Storm Duck, and his situation is a bit clearer, but no less concerning. He’s been recovering from a season-ending knee injury that he picked up way back on October 26th last year, in a game against the Falcons. Talk about a long, grueling rehab process to come back from that! Duck first came into the league as an undrafted college free agent with Miami in 2024, straight out of Louisville. In his two seasons with the Dolphins (2024-2025), he’s played in 16 games, starting four of them, and put up 34 tackles with five passes defensed. For a young guy still trying to establish himself and make his mark in this league, a knee injury like that, keeping him out into July, is just brutal. You gotta feel for the dude when he’s still fighting to prove himself. Having him sidelined this long into the offseason is a real test of patience and resilience, both for him and for the team.
The hope has to be that both Baker Jr. and Duck can get cleared soon. Being on the PUP list means they can’t participate in practice, and every day they’re not out there is a day they’re missing crucial reps, missing valuable time learning team schemes, and definitely missing out on that early season conditioning. This kind of early setback for two cornerbacks is far from ideal, especially when you’re trying to build momentum and cohesion across the defense. Dolphins fans will be glued to their screens for any updates, desperately hoping to see these guys back on the practice field and contributing to what they hope will be a strong defensive unit this year.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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