The Miami Dolphins have made it clear this offseason that the only date that matters for starting center Mike Pouncey is Sept. 10. That is the date of Miami’s regular-season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Dolphins’ goal since January was to make sure Pouncey is healthy enough to suit up in Week 1.

So far, Pouncey -- who is recovering from his second major hip injury in as many years -- is on track to reach that goal. He didn’t participate in any offseason practices during organized team activities or minicamp but has done well enough with his rehab that the coaching staff is optimistic.

“He’s really improving,” Dolphins coach Adam Gase said during mandatory minicamp. “We feel like we’re on a really, really good track right now and we’ll wait to the next doctor’s visit when we get kind of that report back and see what our next step would be. Or did anything change? Better? Worse? We’re just trying to really focus on the steps that the doctors have us [doing] right now. He’s done a good job of not trying to push ahead and say, ‘Hey, I’m a fast healer and I’m tough.’ We all know that.”

As Gase mentioned, Pouncey is one of Miami’s toughest players. He wanted to return for the Dolphins’ playoff game against Pittsburgh in January.

Yet Pouncey, who will turn 28 on Monday, is at an important point in his career where his injury history is catching up to him. He hasn’t played a full 16-game season since 2012, and he admitted that one more significant injury to his surgically repaired hip has the potential to be career-threatening.

It is important for Miami and Pouncey to get this right. Therefore, sitting the former Pro Bowler for the entire training camp could be the Dolphins’ best approach.

“The biggest thing for us is we need him healed, because that’s really what it is, it’s time,” Gase said. “He wants to be out there, but it’s no good if we only get him for a couple of games. We need him for the duration.”

Dolphins backup center Anthony Steen said that Pouncey is still engaged in the meeting rooms, despite missing a lot of practice time, and has the mindset that he will be ready for the regular season.

“I think for a player, you’ve got to think that way,” Steen said. “If you think you’re not going to make it, then it’s not going to happen. You’ve got to be able to say to yourself, ‘I’m going to be the starting center or guard’ or whatever. You have to tell yourself you’re going to be ready. You can’t just want to be in the training room just to be in there. You’ve got to want to be out of the training room to be able to play.”