The Miami Dolphins took three wide receivers in the 2026 NFL draft, and while the first selected (Caleb Douglas) has been the talk of the town throughout camp, another is making waves this week.
Third-round pick Chris Bell started camp on the non-football injury list after recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered during his final season at Louisville. However, the team activated him on Monday, and he's practiced the last two days with a red non-contact jersey.
Speaking to the media after Tuesday's practice session, Bell revealed his feelings about returning to the practice field.
"It felt great," Bell told reporters. "I haven't played football in a little minute, so my first practice, I was a little nervous, but I'm just out there getting my feet wet, getting back to the swing of things... "I feel pretty good. Like I said, I haven't played football in a little minute. Just getting back out there, to be able to run and cut and things like that, it feels pretty good. The thing that I'm just mostly focused on now is just getting back into football shape."
While Bell is practicing, he did reveal that he hasn't been cleared for tackling yet, so that's the next step in his progression. He hopes to be ready for the team's Week 1 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders.
However, he's not just working on his rehab and route running, but he's also establishing a connection with his quarterback, which is a work in progress.
"I feel like our connection is coming along," Bell said. "I just got back out there, so I can't say we got a connection yet on the field, but it takes time. We just got to get on the right page and things like that. Off the field, he always checking on me. Like when I sit beside him in the meeting room or in the team meeting room, ‘You good? How your knee feeling,’ and things like that. So I can say he's a pretty good leader and a pretty good quarterback."
If Bell looks like the player he was during his final season at Louisville before the injury, he could become a pivotal piece of Miami's offense in 2026, which could also make him a building block for the future for Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins rookie WR is thrilled to practice after long injury recovery
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