McDaniel addresses Achane, Hunt, Jeff Wilson Jr., more. And Dolphins notes by position

Running back DeVon Achane won’t need surgery on his knee, but his injury on Sunday leaves his status in doubt for Friday’s game at the Jets (3 p.m., Amazon/CBS-4).

“He was feeling better this morning,” McDaniel said Monday afternoon. “It’s not going to require surgery. We are getting extra feedback and opinions and taking that day by day” this week.

Though his status for Friday seems highly questionable, McDaniel wasn’t ready to make a definitive statement on the matter. “There’s a chance he will or won’t” play Friday. “Would definitely not rule it out or rule it in.”

Achane missed four games with a sprain to the same knee before returning Sunday against the Raiders. He played only three snaps, and had one carry for one yard, before walking off with the knee injury.

“You have the same guy land on the same knee in a similar fashion,” McDaniel said. “It’s not abnormal for that to occur.”

McDaniel said Achane had never had this type of injury in his football career, adding that “this is a new process with this player so we’re trying to feel it out. It’s a little complicated.”

McDaniel said running back Chris Brooks is an option to return but he’s not sure when. Brooks has been on injured reserve since sustaining an ankle injury on Oct. 15.

If the Dolphins bring him back, they will have only one other slot left to bring back a player who’s on injured reserve or the non-football injury list. Guard Isaiah Wynn is on IR and receiver Erik Ezukanma is on the non-football injury list.

Teams can bring back eight players off either list in a single season; Miami already has brought back six.

McDaniel said the five injured players who didn’t play on Sunday --guard Robert Hunt, guard Rob Jones, receivers Chase Claypool and Braxton Berrios and tight end Durham Smythe - will be questionable for Friday.

“Everybody who didn’t play had their eyes on this game,” he said.

The Jets, according to ESPN, plan to start veteran journeyman Tim Boyle against the Jets as opposed to Zach Wilson, who was benched during Sunday’s loss in Buffalo. Boyle is 0-3 in his career as a starter, with three touchdowns and nine interceptions.

WILSON EXPLANATION

McDaniel said Jeff Wilson Jr. was a healthy scratch against Las Vegas because the team needed additional receivers active and because running back Salvon Ahmed “offered some added value on special teams” for that particular game.

Wilson has only seven carries (for 29 yards) in four games since returning from preseason rib and finger injuries. Last season, he tied for 12th in the league in per carry average at 4.9, with a combined 176 carries for the Dolphins and 49ers.

Asked if he’s the same player physically as last year in light of the injuries, McDaniel said: “I see the same spirit, the same athlete. And he’s a guy I know will contribute for us this season and has been patient while he waits for an opportunity.”

McDaniel was asked if it’s especially difficult to make inactive players with whom he has a long history and aren’t accustomed to not playing, like Wilson.

“I’m cold and calculated when it comes to matters of the team,” he said. “It becomes very easy to do to make those decisions. Jeff was a tough one. It wasn’t because I didn’t want him up. Definitely did. Kind of a numbers crunch. Dealing with certain things at different positions. In this situation, a fifth receiver has played more than a third running back for us. He understands it.”

NOTES BY POSITION

Some notes, by position off Sunday’s game:

▪ Running back: With Achane limited to three snaps before his knee injury, Raheem Mostert logged 55 of Miami’s 70 offensive snaps and Ahmed played 20. Fullback Alec Ingold logged 34, his second highest of the season.

▪ Wide receiver: With Claypool and Berrios missing the game with injuries, and Tyreek Hill missing a part of the second quarter with a hand injury, the Dolphins gave a season-high-tying 58 snaps to Jaylen Waddle.

Hill played 41, Cedrick Wilson Jr. played 45. River Cracraft logged 21 offensive snaps and Robbie Chosen 5.

▪ Tight end: Rookie Julian Hill logged a career-high 47 offensive snaps in the absence of Durham Smythe, who missed the game with an ankle injury. Tyler Kroft played a season-high 21 snaps.

▪ Inside linebacker: While Jerome Baker logged all 61 defensive snaps, David Long Jr. played less than he has recently (just 28 of 61 defensive snaps). Andrew Van Ginkel played 42 defensive snaps, splitting time between inside and outside linebacker. Duke Riley logged one defensive snap.

▪ Outside linebacker: Emmanuel Ogbah, who hadn’t played at all against Kansas City, logged seven snaps -- behind Van Ginkel and starters Bradley Chubb (52 snaps) and Jaelan Phillips (54).

▪ Defensive backfield: Cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard and safeties Jevon Holland and DeShon Elliott played all 61 defensive snaps. Kader Kohou played 45 defensive snaps; Nik Needham (one defensive snap) was the only other defensive back who made an appearance on defense.

▪ Defensive line: Christian WIlkins and Zach Sieler continued to maintain heavy workloads, playing 58 and 54 of the Dolphins’ 61 defensive snaps. Raekwon Davis played 21 snaps and Da’Shawn Hand 3.