Dolphins’ Bayron Matos transported by helicopter to hospital after suffering injury in training camp

The Miami Dolphins suffered quite the scare on the first day of training camp. According to CBS News, offensive lineman Bayron Matos was seriously injured at the end of the practice session Wednesday, and was airlifted to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital via helicopter. The Dolphins did not reveal what injury Matos suffered, but they did say he was stable. 

Matos is set to enter his second NFL season after going undrafted last year out of South Florida. He was born in the Dominican Republic but moved to Tennessee at 16 years old. The 6-foot-7 athlete initially attended the University of New Mexico to play basketball after a successful high school career, but then transferred to South Florida to continue his hoop dreams. However, in 2022, Matos walked on to the Bulls’ football team, and started training as a defensive end and designated “kick blocker” on special teams before moving to the offensive line. 

Matos was announced as one of the 16 members of the International Player Pathway in 2024 and worked out for scouts at IMG Academy prior to the draft. He performed well enough for some evaluators to believe he could be a late-round pick, but ultimately went undrafted and landed with Miami.