Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Bayron Matos was airlifted by helicopter after suffering an undisclosed training camp injury on Wednesday, according to the Miami Herald.
The Dolphins updated the 6-foot-7, 334-pound lineman’s status Thursday, saying he’s in stable condition and has movement in all his extremities.
After being taken to the hospital Wednesday, Matos was held there overnight. He’ll remain “in the care of doctors” for now, the team announced.
Matos’ injury appeared to occur during an accidental collision with a teammate late in practice, per the Herald, which also reported that Matos remained on the field, where he was attended to by Dolphins medical staff and surrounded by teammates, for at least 10 minutes before his hospital trip.
Matos didn’t play a snap for the Dolphins last season, although he did see the field during the 2024 preseason.
The former USF football walk-on is still relatively new to the sport. He was born in the Dominican Republic, where he played baseball and basketball. He moved to the United States when he was in high school and eventually played three years of Division I college basketball — the first two at New Mexico and the third at USF.
He gave football a try at USF, initially lining up at defensive end before ultimately switching to the other side of the ball. Matos played 22 total snaps for the Bulls during the 2022 season, according to Pro Football Focus, which has him down for 11 special teams snaps and 11 defensive snaps that year.
Fast-forward to January 2024, and Matos was one of 16 NFL hopefuls who received an opportunity to showcase their talents via the league’s International Player Pathway in 2024. The program provides international athletes a chance to work out in front of NFL scouts at IMG Academy before the draft and then be eligible to fill a 17th practice squad spot for any of the league’s 32 teams.
Matos went undrafted last year, yet the Dolphins signed him. After training camp, they brought him back for their practice squad.
