Report: Dolphins DT Nkemdiche couldn’t run across field and back

The Miami Dolphins took a flier on former Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle and 2016 first-round pick Robert Nkemdiche.

Despite his off-the-field missteps this offseason, an knee injury just this past December and then two offseason traffic stops in Arizona, the Dolphins signed him to join their training camp.

But for the very same reason and last straw that led to his departure from the Cardinals, there’s reason to wonder if he’s already risking his second chance. According to The Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero, Nkemdiche attempted to run gassers prior to Miami’s  preseason game on Thursday and couldn’t complete half of one (a gasser is two up-and-backs across the width of a football field).

Robert Nkemdiche, who joined the Dolphins a couple of weeks ago and is on active/PUP, doesn't seem to be in any sort of football shape. Tried to run gassers pregame and could not complete run across field (53 1/3 yards) and all the way back.

— Armando Salguero (@ArmandoSalguero) August 22, 2019

That’s concerning news for the 29th overall pick from 2016, who struggled to find his footing in the NFL despite his athletic talents.

Nkemdiche played in 22 games over his second and third NFL seasons, tallying 43 tackles and 4.5 sacks, the latter of which all came last year. A torn ACL ended his season prematurely, and a traffic-related arrest didn’t forebode good things ahead.

He reported to training camp with the Cardinals out of shape and soon after was released.

“I’m hopeful that the situation will kind of be a wakeup call for him because he has as much talent as anybody in the NFL, and I mean that,” Cardinals nose tackle Corey Peters said of Nkemdiche.

“It’s in his hands.”

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