BY SEAN DONOVAN
The current nose-dive that is the Miami Dolphins' season took a turn for the bizarre Wednesday after it was reported that starting right tackle Jonathan Martin has left the team seeking treatment following a "breakdown" at the team facility on Monday.
According to a report by Fox Sports 1's Jay Glazer, Martin became so agitated after falling victim to a prank in the team cafeteria that he "smashed his food tray on the ground” before leaving the facility and not returning.
The team listed Martin on the Wednesday injury report as doubtful with an illness. Obviously, the circumstances surrounding Martin's condition erase any doubt that the second-year lineman will not play Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The details of Monday's incident and Martin's mindset are still unclear, but it came a day after the his first game back at his rookie-year position of right tackle, a move he hinted that he was displeased with.
“You can approach this two different ways," Martin said last week of the transition, via the Miami Herald. “You can go in the tank and be one of those guys who bitches and moans and is a cancer in the locker room, or you can be a guy who goes out there and can be a professional and plays as hard as I can."
Martin was displaced after the acquisition of left tackle Bryant McKinnie and took the place of the benched Tyson Clabo on the right side, who will be re-inserted into the starting lineup in Martin's absence.
Multiple reports stated that Martin was frequently picked on for his shyness by teammates, which appears to a major contributing factor to the breakdown. Though he's seeking help for his issues, re-joining a locker room after such an event can be very difficult.
His team, currently 3-4, will look to rise above the distraction and regain control of a sinking season Thursday night against a Bengals team that's won four straight.
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