Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier confirmed to reporters on Wednesday that the team knew veteran wideout Odell Beckham Jr. might not be available to start the season due to an offseason procedure, but didn't go into any details beyond that.

"I appreciate the question, but I don't like to talk about people's medical history," he said when asked about the topic.

Beckham will miss at least the first four games of the season while on the physically unable to perform list.

"He is very close, but, for us, it was the long play," Grier told reporters about putting Beckham on the PUP list to start the season. "We didn't want him to rush back, feeling he had to rush back, and then something happens and sets us back... We just felt what's best for him long haul to help us here win games is to put him down for a little bit right now."

Beckham, 31, signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Dolphins this offseason, which includes incentives that could raise his salary to $8.2 million. Missing four games to start the year won't help in that effort, with those incentives tied to the amount of catches, yards and touchdowns he accumulates.

The Dolphins are still loaded with weapons, of course, with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle out wide and Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane at running back.

But Beckham was expected to solidify the WR3 role. Instead, Braxton Berrios will need to play a bigger part in the team's offense, at least early in the season.

Injuries, of course, have hampered Beckham in the back half of his career. He'll now have missed at least three games in six of the past seasons. After being a Pro Bowler in each of his first three seasons, Beckham's fall from prominence has been severe.