The Miami Dolphins made a late Week 2 roster adjustment Saturday, placing inside linebacker Ronnie Harrison Jr. on injured reserve and signing inside linebacker Liam Anderson to the active roster from the practice squad. Miami also elevated edge rushers Clelin Ferrell and Max Llewellyn for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers.
The moves address two separate areas of concern on a defense that will be without Harrison and edge rusher Chop Robinson. Harrison was ruled out with a hamstring injury after missing practice all week, while Robinson will not play after entering the concussion protocol following a practice injury.
Ronnie Harrison Jr. moves to injured reserve
Harrison’s move to injured reserve guarantees a multi-game absence and creates an active-roster opening for Anderson. The veteran linebacker had been listed as out for Week 2 after three consecutive missed practices because of the hamstring injury.
Miami initially carried Harrison as one of its inside-linebacker options entering the season. His absence now forces the Dolphins to lean more heavily on the rest of that group while Anderson gets an opportunity on the 53-man roster.
Anderson has appeared in four NFL games across previous stops and spent the start of the 2026 season on Miami’s practice squad. His promotion gives the Dolphins another natural inside linebacker rather than asking the existing group to absorb every lost snap and special-teams assignment created by Harrison’s injury.
Liam Anderson gets the active-roster opportunity
The move for Anderson is more than a one-game elevation. Miami signed him directly to the active roster, giving the Dolphins a longer-term option while Harrison is unavailable.
That distinction matters because Harrison’s injured-reserve stint will extend beyond Sunday. Anderson now has a chance to establish a role in the defensive rotation and on special teams over the next several weeks rather than simply serving as temporary game-day depth.
Miami’s defense is already managing early-season turnover. The Dolphins placed safety Kyle Louis on injured reserve earlier in the week, so Harrison becomes another defender whose absence has to be absorbed by a relatively young roster.
Clelin Ferrell and Max Llewellyn help cover for Chop Robinson
The two practice-squad elevations address the edge room. Ferrell and Llewellyn are available Sunday with Robinson ruled out because of a concussion.
FSN previously reported that Robinson would miss the 49ers game after sustaining the concussion in practice. Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley said Friday that Miami would use multiple players to replace Robinson and expressed confidence in the available edge options.
Ferrell is the more experienced of the two. He has started extensively during his NFL career and appeared for Miami in Week 1. Llewellyn gives the Dolphins another body in a rotation that will need to stay fresh against a San Francisco offense capable of stressing the edges with both its run game and play-action passing.
The Dolphins are reshaping two defensive rotations before kickoff
Saturday’s moves show Miami treating Harrison’s hamstring injury and Robinson’s concussion differently. Harrison’s placement on injured reserve prompted a permanent active-roster addition in Anderson. Robinson’s absence is being handled with game-day elevations, preserving flexibility while he works through the concussion protocol.
That approach gives Miami enough depth to get through Sunday without committing additional long-term roster spots at edge. It also provides a clearer path at inside linebacker while Harrison is unavailable for more than one game.
The challenge is that both absences hit the front seven at the same time. Harrison’s experience is lost from the second level, and Robinson’s explosiveness is missing from the pass rush. Against the 49ers, Miami will need its replacement players to hold up against an offense that can force defenders to play disciplined assignment football for an entire drive.
What to watch against San Francisco
The most immediate question is how Miami divides Robinson’s edge snaps. Ferrell’s experience makes him a logical part of the answer, but Hafley indicated the replacement plan could involve several players and different personnel combinations.
At inside linebacker, Anderson’s workload is less certain. Miami can bring him along as depth while leaning on established linebackers, or use him immediately on special teams and in selected defensive packages.
The Dolphins enter Sunday looking for their first win of the season after opening 0-1. Their Week 2 defensive plan now includes one fewer veteran linebacker and one fewer starting-caliber edge rusher, making Saturday’s roster moves more than routine transaction-wire housekeeping.
Sources
- Miami Dolphins: Dolphins make roster moves (September 19, 2026)
- Miami Dolphins: Week 2 injury report (September 19, 2026)
- Miami Dolphins: Jeff Hafley press conference transcript (September 18, 2026)