Miami Dolphins safety Brandon Jones and defensive lineman Adam Butler are both active for the team’s critical game at the Tennessee Titans on Sunday afternoon.
Jones and Butler were both in league COVID-19 protocols throughout the past week. They were removed from the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday afternoon at the deadline to make roster moves ahead of Sunday’s pregame moves.
Jones and Butler traveled separately from the rest of the team on Saturday, and despite their removal from the COVID list, they entered Sunday questionable due to illness, officially. They were announced as cleared to play three and a half hours before the 1 p.m. kickoff at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
Jones has 66 tackles, five sacks, an interception, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup in 13 games, 11 starts at strong safety. Butler has 16 tackles, two sacks and three pass deflections as a rotational defensive lineman for Miami.
Two weeks ago, Miami similarly activated rookie free safety Jevon Holland off COVID reserve the day before the Dec. 19 game against the Jets, but he was not cleared ahead of the Sunday kickoff.
Neither Jones nor Butler practiced this past week in preparation for the Titans after landing on the COVID list on Tuesday. They both played in Monday night’s win at the New Orleans Saints with Jones recording six tackles, a sack and a late interception.
Remaining active-roster Dolphins on the COVID list as of Sunday are cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, safety Sheldrick Redwine, defensive tackle John Jenkins and wide receivers Preston Williams, Allen Hurns and Lynn Bowden. Igbinoghene and Redwine were added on Saturday, Hurns and Bowden are on season-ending injured reserve and weren’t available to play anyway.
Miami has no other players entering Sunday’s game that carries significant AFC playoff implications with an injury designation.
The Titans have outside linebacker Derick Roberson (illness) and defensive lineman Larrell Murchison (knee) questionable. They also did not activate veteran wide receiver Julio Jones off their COVID list on Saturday, so he is out.
This story will be updated.