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Dolphins fear separated shoulder could threaten Henne's season

The Miami Dolphins' attempts to turn their season around could get even more difficult in the wake of an injury suffered by quarterback Chad Henne during Sunday's loss to the San Diego Chargers.

The Dolphins currently are concerned about a separation of Henne's non-throwing shoulder, and they're awaiting word of a second opinion Tuesday that could dictate the quarterback's availability for the rest of the season, a team source said.

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Henne has made it clear he'd like to play through the pain of the injury, but word out of the team's facility is that it might not be as simple as that. The second opinion is being sought to confirm the team's original findings, on which the source didn't yet want to elaborate.

It is possible -- taking a very optimistic approach -- that Henne still could play against the New York Jets in 13 days, following the team's bye week. But while the team isn't yet ruling anything out, the feelings coming from the organization about the situation most definitely are tense.

Without Henne, the Dolphins will look toward backup Matt Moore to carry the load of the Dolphins' 0-4 record. Moore was decent as Henne's replacement against the Chargers (17-of-26 passing for 167 yards with no touchdowns and an interception), but Henne to this point had been one of the team's better players.

The Dolphins also are in the hunt for another quarterback -- and potentially two -- to be added to their roster in the wake of the current situation. Miami currently carries just Henne and Moore on the roster.

Even if Henne can return to action, the Dolphins likely will need an insurance plan to backup Moore in the case of any further issues with Henne's shoulder.

Follow Jeff Darlington on Twitter @JeffDarlington.

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