Miami Dolphins place-kicker Jason Sanders is expected to miss the first four to five weeks of the NFL regular season with a hip injury, head coach Mike McDaniel said Monday. The setback rules the 29-year-old out of Miami’s Sept. 7 opener against the Indianapolis Colts, forcing the club to seek a short-term replacement. Sanders, a 2018 All-Pro who has converted 86% of his career field-goal attempts, left Saturday’s preseason finale after warm-ups; punter Jake Bailey missed a 51-yard attempt in his place. Miami has scheduled try-outs in Miami Gardens this week for several veteran free agents, including Michael Badgley, Greg Joseph, Eddy Pineiro and long-time standout Matt Prater, according to people familiar with the discussions. McDaniel emphasized that surgery is not required and described the injury as "not a season-ender," but acknowledged the club needs reliability in the interim. The injury list extends beyond special teams. Rookie running back Jaylen Wright is also unlikely to play in Week 1 after leaving joint practices with Jacksonville last week, though McDaniel said his absence should be brief. Other injured starters—tight end Darren Waller and right tackle Austin Jackson—remain on track for the opener, the coach added.