Miami Dolphins linebacker Willie Gay Jr. was a star in training camp last month, earning rave reviews from coaches, teammates, and onlookers for his high energy play and knack for creating turnovers. So it was a head-scratcher when the Dolphins didn’t put the 27-year-old veteran on the field in a 33-8 blowout loss against the Indianapolis Colts last week.
Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver says the team didn’t plan on having Gay finish with zero defensive snaps and he’s going to try to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.
“I gotta find a way to get Willie on the field, and I told him that the next day,” Weaver said Thursday. “There was a plan, certainly, to get him in the game. Plans change, right? There was some chaos there for a little bit. But he’s impactful. He’s earned the right to get on the field, so I gotta make that happen.”
Gay joined the Dolphins earlier this year as a free agent following stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints. Despite his strong showing in camp, the team has stuck with Jordyn Brooks and Tyrel Dodson as its starting duo at inside linebacker.
Brooks is a team captain and Dodson earned the highest PFF grade of any Dolphins defensive player last week. So despite the brutal showing for the Miami defense, it’s also tough to say that Gay’s absence was a huge tactical error.
Gay has appeared in 73 career games and has started 55. He has seven career sacks, four interceptions, three forced fumbles, and 19 tackles for loss.
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