The Miami Dolphins will be without cornerback Kendall Fuller for their matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday and possibly beyond this game.

Head coach Mike McDaniel said Tuesday he could “pretty much” rule out Fuller after the veteran free-agent acquisition sustained his second concussion in seven weeks during Monday night’s 23-15 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

“With it being a Monday night game, there is no timeline beyond that, I would pretty much rule him out for that game,” McDaniel said. “Beyond that, we will support his location and get more information in Miami.”

McDaniel noted that Fuller returned to Miami with his teammates after the Rams game, which was a good sign.

What’s not encouraging is that Fuller also suffered a concussion during the Week 3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

While all concussions are different and recovery times vary, it is always problematic when two concussions occur so close together.

This means it wouldn’t be surprising if Fuller was sidelined for several weeks, or even placed on injured reserve.

Second-year receiver Cam Smith replaces Fuller as outside cornerback opposite Jalen Ramsey (Kader Kohou is also in the slot) He seems like a logical candidate to start against the Rams and against the Raiders.

However, Smith’s performance in the three games since being activated from injured reserve has been uneven at best, particularly according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) analysis.

In those three games, PFF has Smith giving up 13 catches on 15 targets for 139 yards and a 127.5 passer rating.

This isn’t the type of performance that would help the defense build on its strong performance in Monday night’s 23-15 victory over the LA Rams.

The problem is that the Dolphins don’t have another proven option at cornerback.

One option is to move Kohou to the outside and use three safeties (Jordan Poyer, Jevon Holland and Marcus Maye) regularly. Still, it’s clear that Kohou is a more effective player in the slot.

Beyond Smith, other cornerbacks on the active roster include rookie free agents Storm Duck, Ethan Bonner and Siran Neal.

Neal has the most experience but is more of a special teams ace than a linebacker. In his lone defensive snap against the Rams after Kohou was temporarily sidelined after hitting his knees, Neal hauled in a 21-yard coverage pass to Puka Nacua.

Duck was the player who received the call against the Tennessee Titans when Fuller was sidelined with his initial concussion, but he was inactive against the Rams despite being taken off the injury report late in the week after missing the previous week with an ankle injury.

If Fuller is sidelined for an extended period of time, the Dolphins could look outside the organization for veteran help. Of course, the only player jumping in here is Xavien Howard.

If the Dolphins wanted to go the veteran route, the question would be whether both sides could agree to a reunion after the team released a four-time Pro Bowl cornerback in the offseason.