The Dolphins reportedly could be without their top offensive lineman at the start of the 2014 regular season.
Center Mike Pouncey is anticipated to miss “at least three months” after undergoing hip surgery on Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.
A three-month recovery timetable would make Pouncey’s Week One availability in doubt, as the Dolphins begin the regular season against the Patriots on Sunday, September 7. Moreover, were Pouncey to be out for more than three months, it’s possible he could land on the PUP list, which would necessitate at least a six-game absence were he to remain on PUP at the beginning of the regular season.
Pouncey, who made the Pro Bowl a season ago, is regarded as one of the game’s top centers. The Dolphins’ first-round pick in 2011, Pouncey has started all 46 games in which he’s played for Miami. He turns 25 in July. The Dolphins extended Pouncey’s contract through 2015 earlier this year.
The Dolphins’ offensive line play was a weakness a season ago, and Pouncey’s injury hurts the club’s effort to built cohesion at this vital position.