DAVIE, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins had a surprise appearance in their locker room on Monday.
Injured safety and former starter Louis Delmas, who tore his ACL in the joint scrimmage with the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 19, was back with his team leading into Miami’s big Week 1 matchup with the Washington Redskins.
Delmas was put on season-ending injured reserve and said he had successful surgery last month. This was the second consecutive year he tore his ACL in his right knee.
“I had the surgery a couple days after I tore it,” Delmas explained. “It’s a hard process dealing with it again and going through the whole process again. But it’s a grind, and I’m a grinder. I know how to grind, and I know what it takes to get the job done, and I’m going to get the job done.”
Delmas signed a one-year contract with the Dolphins this offseason and will become a free agent again in 2016. The veteran said he’s not retiring and wants to play “four, five, six more [seasons].”
Miami lost some leadership on the field with Delmas. Backups Walt Aikens and Michael Thomas will fill in for Delmas this season next to starter Reshad Jones.
“Talented. Young in some spots, but I think they’ll get the job done,” Delmas said. “Even though I’m not out there, I think I’ve done a great job of grooming. So the guys under me, and with the leadership of Brent Grimes and Reshad Jones and Brice [McCain], the places to say we lack [experience] at, which I don’t think is a problem, with leadership we will step it up.”
