"Franchise left tackle Jake Long sat out the Miami Dolphins' first regular-season practice Monday morning with a left knee injury suffered in the preseason finale at Dallas.

Long, the Dolphins' highest-paid player, stretched with the rest of the team inside the bubble but reported directly to the exercise bicycle once practice moved outside. Long appeared to walk without a limp but wore a bulky brace on his left knee.

Second-year tackle Lydon Murtha filled in for Long with the first team.

Long, a third-year man out of Michigan, suffered the injury three plays into second quarter of the Sept. 2 game at Dallas. The helmet of right tackle Vernon Carey appeared to crash into Long's knee as Carey fell to the ground while giving up a sack of Chad Henne.

Henne lost a fumble on the play, which ended the night for most Dolphins offensive starters.

"I'll be all right," Long said when asked if he'd be ready for the start of the regular season.

League rules don't require the Dolphins to release an official injury report to the media until Wednesday afternoon."