Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Bayron Matos was airlifted to a hospital by helicopter at the end of Wednesday’s practice.
According to CBS News, the incident occurred just minutes before Day 1 of the Dolphins training camp came to a close. He was promptly taken care of and airlifted to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
As of right now, the injury is undisclosed, but the team has reported that Matos, 24, is in stable condition. The Miami Herald reports that team medical staff spent more than 10 minutes with Matos on the field before air rescue arrived.
Matos is a second-year offensive tackle who signed with the Dolphins in 2024 through the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. The lineman is originally from Los Mina, Santo Domingo, and though he went undrafted in 2024, this program allows for athletes from other countries to have a chance to play in the NFL.
The Miami Herald reported that 10 other teams had shown interest in Matos, and the Dolphins had guaranteed him $247,500 when signing him — quite the high price for an undrafted rookie. Standing at 6-foot-7 inches tall and 334 pounds, he showed promise in the upcoming season.
Growing up, Matos played baseball and basketball, even moving to the United States to play college basketball for two years at the University of New Mexico and for one year at the University of South Florida. It was at USF that he walked on as a football player.
“I played 11 snaps in two games, against BYU and Howard, got the feel for it, played special teams,” Matos told the Miami Herald in May. “Football is a beautiful sport.”
Over the last year, Matos has been on Miami’s practice squad and signed a reserve/future contract with the team in January of this year. He has not yet played a game.
