National Football League

Dolphins guards Garner, Jerry hurt

Published Aug. 18, 2010 12:43 a.m. ET

foxsports

Miami Dolphins guards Nate Garner and rookie John Jerry are the latest players to succumb to injury in training camp, but Jerry is proving to be a quick healer.

Head coach Tony Sparano confirmed Garner had surgery last week on his left foot, the same one he had operated on in the offseason, and has no idea how long he will be out. A source told the Miami Herald that Garner will miss at least eight weeks.

The 6-foot-7, 325-pound lineman started eight games last season at both left and right guard and had been working on the left side with the first team when he reinjured the foot. Garner also was slated to be the backup to right tackle Vernon Carey.

Jerry was Miami's third-round pick out of Mississippi and at 6-5 and 328 pounds is making a strong push to become the starting right guard. Near the end of Monday's practice he pulled up with a sore right knee and did not finish the team drills, and then Tuesday morning he tried to push his way through again but had to cut things short.

In the afternoon session held inside the team's practice bubble, Jerry battled through the pain and did not miss any drills.

''I'm a pretty confident guy,'' Jerry said. ''Bumps and bruises are part of the game but at the same time I'm just coming out here trying to work on my craft and get better.''

Sparano revealed that in the morning the training staff and coaching staff tried to get Jerry ''heated up,'' but his knee got sore on him again after a little while.

Donald Thomas and Cory Procter were seeing more practice reps at the guard spots when Jerry was limited, and Andrew Gardner and Lydon Murtha will continue to pick up the workload in Garner's absence.