Miami Dolphins stars handcuffed as they try to enter stadium before season opener

The Miami Dolphins won’t have to play without two captains, and two of the team’s top performers in Sunday’s home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars because of early morning legal troubles that surfaced before the game.

While all the details are being sorted, it appears that All Pro receiver Tyreek Hill and Calais Campbell were in police custody before 11 a.m. after Hill was pulled over, and handcuffed near the entrance of the team’s facility. The details of what transpired have not been shared by local authorities, but the Dolphins released a statement that they are expected to play in today’s kickoff.

The Dolphins issued a statement saying Hill “was pulled over for a traffic incident about one block from the stadium and briefly detained by police. He has since been released. Several teammates saw the incident and stopped to offer support.

“Tyreek and all other players involved have safely arrived to the stadium and will be available for today’s game.”

Considering both players are integral pieces of Miami’s offense and defense, their unchanged game status luckily shouldn’t force Dolphins coaches to make massive game plan alterations.

Hill, the first NFL receiver to deliver back-to-back 1,700 yard seasons, is at the epicenter of Miami’s offense, which means the game plan likely revolves around him.

And this eight-time Pro Bowler is not the type of talent who could be easily replaced.

Miami’s best option to replace Hill would have been Jaylen Waddle, the first Dolphins receiver to produce three straight 1,000 yard receiving seasons, and possibly have Robbie Chosen, who was elevated up from the practice squad yesterday, fill Waddle’s flanker role.

Chosen’s the Dolphins’ third most experienced receiver on the roster, behind only Hill and Odell Beckham Jr., who is unavailable because he began training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list, and his speed allows Miami to keep the offense consistent because he can stretch the field, occupying a safety.

Braxton Berrios and Grant DuBose are the only other receivers available for the Jaguars game. Berrios, who is primary Miami’s slot receiver, has a good enough grasp of the offense, so he could fill the X, Y and Z receiver role. But he’s the only one who could because Malik Washington, a rookie, is inactive for the season opener, and DuBose joined the team two weeks ago after being claimed off waivers from Green Bay.

While the Packers and the Dolphins have plenty of carryover in their offense because Mike McDaniel and Packers coach Matt LaFleur come from the same Mike Shanahan coaching tree, it’s unrealistic to expect DuBose to know all of Miami’s playbook, and to have mastered the hot routes and audibles in two weeks.

But it’s possible DuBose, a second-year player from the University of Charlotte, could be forced to play a role in the passing game, which also might lean more on tight ends Jonnu Smith and Tanner Conner than initially planned.

As for Campbell, he’s one of the two established veterans on Miami’s defensive line, with Zach Sieler, a seven-year veteran who produced 10 sacks last season, being the other.

Campbell, a 17-year veteran who is a six-time Pro Bowler, plays two prominent roles on Miami’s defensive front.

He’s one of the Dolphins’ starting five-technique ends in Miami’s 3-4 base, and Campbell, whose 105.5 career sacks ranks him third in the NFL in active sack production, moves inside to play defensive tackle on obvious passing downs.

If Campbell’s weren’t able to play against the Jaguars, Da’Shawn Hand, a seven-year veteran who has started 11 of the 47 NFL games he’s played, would likely replace Campbell as the player paired with Sieler.

Benito Jones, Miami’s starting nose tackle, will likely play his usual nose tackle position, and Brandon Pili, the last of the defensive linemen on Miami’s 53-man roster, who will likely be active.

Defensive linemen Naquan Jones and Jonathan Harris are on Miami’s practice squad, but since they weren’t elevated up from that unit on Saturday like Chosen was they can not play against the Jaguars.