A torn ACL suffered last September doesn't seem to be slowing down Bell's timeline to be ready for the season after he was cleared off the Physically Unable to Perform list in mid-August. A big, physical receiver with good acceleration and speed, particularly for his size, Bell appears to have the opportunity to be a real contributor for a Dolphins offense lacking reliable targets. On track for a career-year at Louisville before injury (72 catches, 917 yards and six touchdowns in 11 games), Bell is the perfect stash candidate for forward-looking managers in long-term leagues as well as the deepest of redraft formats.
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Fantasy News
Dolphins' Chris Bell: Starting with individual work
Rotowire
Bell (knee) was limited to individual drills in his return to practice Monday, Alain Poupart of SI.com reports.
The Dolphins are getting Bell into the mix now that he is off the non-football injury list. It will be a ramp-up period for the rookie receiver out of Louisville who suffered a torn ACL late in his final collegiate season. Bell's impressive progress in his rehab seems to move up his timeline for a debut. If he continues to make strides, Bell will be a name to file away for the later rounds of best ball drafts or for waiver-wire watch lists in redraft formats.
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Dolphins' Chris Bell: Returns from NFI list
Rotowire
The Dolphins activated Bell (knee) from the active/non-football injury list Monday.
The transaction clears the way for Bell, a rookie third-round pick out of Louisville, to resume practicing with the Dolphins. Bell missed all of OTAs and the start of training camp while recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee, which he had surgically repaired in December. Given the nature of the injury, Bell is expected to be eased back into practice with a light workload this week and is unlikely to be available for Saturday's preseason game against the Giants. The 22-year-old wideout may have a better chance of playing in the Aug. 28 preseason finale versus the Falcons, however, which would set the stage for him to have a role in the Dolphins' game plans once the regular season gets underway.
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Dolphins' Chris Bell: Could play this preseason?
Rotowire
Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley suggested Friday that Bell (knee) might have a chance to play this preseason, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
It doesn't seem likely, given that Bell remains on the Non-Football Injury list through the first week of August. He'll presumably ease into practice once he's activated, and there would still be some chance of opening the regular season on an injury list. Still, it's a good sign that Bell's head coach isn't ruling out the possibility of a preseason appearance. The rookie third-round pick should get playing time at some point this year, though perhaps not early on.
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Dolphins' Chris Bell: Return not imminent
Rotowire
Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik noted Tuesday that Bell (knee) is still "a long way's away," C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald reports.
Bell, who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered during his final collegiate season at Louisville, remains on the active/non-football injury list, but it's unclear when he'll be ready to resume practicing, and missed time early on this season is plausible based on Slowik's assessment. Once Bell is back in the mix, however, he'll have a chance to carve out a notable role in a retooled Miami WR corps that currently features Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell, with rookies Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman also competing for slotting.
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Dolphins' Chris Bell: Shifts to NFI list
Rotowire
The Dolphins placed Bell (ACL) on the active/non-football injury list Tuesday.
Bell is rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered during his final collegiate season at Louisville, and for which he underwent surgery last December. Though the rookie third-round pick has previously stated that he expects to be ready for training camp, it looks like Bell may need a bit more time before being cleared to take the practice field. Miami has yet to provide an official timetable for his return. Once cleared to practice, Bell will have an opportunity to compete for a significant role in an unsettled Dolphins receiver corps that also houses Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell, and fellow rookies Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman.
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Dolphins' Chris Bell: No timetable for return yet
Rotowire
Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley said Wednesday at OTAs that the team has not designated "a timetable" for Bell (ACL) to retake the field, C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald reports.
Bell, a rookie third-round pick, is currently progressing through rehab work with Miami's training staff during OTAs, Travis Wingfield of the Dolphins' official site reports. The former Louisville standout had projected as a likely first- or second-round selection before suffering a torn ACL and undergoing surgery last December, though he stated prior to the 2026 NFL Draft that he expects to be ready for training camp. Once cleared to return to the field, Bell will compete with veterans Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, and Tutu Atwell, along with rookies Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman, for targets from quarterback Malik Willis. The pecking order of Miami's wide-receiver corps looks uncertain in advance of the 2026 season, so Bell should have a chance to compete for a notable role if he's indeed able to retake the field for training camp.
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Dolphins' Chris Bell: Snagged by Dolphins
Rotowire
The Dolphins selected Bell (ACL) in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 94th overall.
Bell (6-foot-2, 222 pounds) may have been a first-round prospect if not for the fact that he's recovering from ACL surgery undergone in mid-December, so it's unsurprising to see the WR-needy Dolphins trade up with Denver to end his slide. Miami already selected WR Caleb Douglas and TE Will Kacmarek in the third round, but Bell is the most intriguing playmaker of that group, to the point that it wouldn't be a surprising outcome for him to surpass Malik Washingtonand Jalen Tolbert as the top WR for new quarterback Malik Willis, health permitting. Bell was a three-year starter at Louisville but didn't break out as the team's No. 1 option until 2025, when he compiled 72 catches, a team-high 917 receiving yards and six touchdowns across 11 games. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Bell has already progressed enough in his rehab to have resumed running at 18-plus miles per hour, and the wideout said in late February that he expects to be ready for training camp.
