Miami Dolphins’ Brian Flores updates status of Fuller, Deiter, other issues
The Dolphins will go a 10th consecutive game without wide receiver Will Fuller.
Fuller’s finger injury apparently isn’t sufficiently healed to allow him to return. He won’t practice this week, coach Brian Flores said. That means he will not play Sunday against the visiting New York Jets.
Asked if there’s a reason for his continued absence beyond the finger injury, Flores said: “I’m not going to get into any specifics about this situation. He won’t be here this week.”
The Dolphins have listed only the finger injury as the reason for his absence; Flores said he broke multiple bones in that finger. Fuller, who signed a one-year, $10.3 million deal last March, has played only 65 offensive snaps.
He missed the opener to complete a six-game NFL suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy. He missed the second game for personal reasons that have never been fully explained.
Fuller has become a target for Dolphins fans because he has missed nine consecutive games with a finger injury and has barely played this season. Flores has tried to blunt that criticism by pointing out that Fuller had multiple fractures in his finger.
“Every guy wants to play,” receiver Mack Hollins said when asked about criticism of Fuller. “Nobody that’s in this league is like ‘I just want to get paid to not play.’ If I’m going to get paid either way, I might as well play and have fun. Nobody wants to come in at 7 a.m. and do treatment and then the one time that all of your friends and family are watching, you’re not out there. I would say every guy wants to get back. Every guy is trying their hardest to get back.
“But I guess for the fans that say ‘Oh, he’s not doing this and that.’ If there is a fan out there that can come to me with their perfect attendance at work and not missing a single day, then maybe we can have a discussion. But I think everybody has times where they want to be somewhere and they’re not able to.”
Isaiah Ford noted that Fuller “has been working hard. He’s been in the training room just trying to get back. That’s really all he can do right now is take his time and when he’s ready, he’ll join us.”
MORE INJURY NEWS
Though starting center Michael Deiter was in a walking boot at last Wednesday’s walk-through, Flores indicated he’s fine and will practice this week.
Flores said he’s hopeful that Phillip Lindsay (ankle) and Malcolm Brown (quadriceps) can return to practice this week. But minutes later, NFL Network reported that Lindsay tested positive for COVID-19 and is out indefinitely. Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin remain on the COVID list. Lindsey, Ahmed and Gaskin are all vaccinated.
▪ Flores praised defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, who has six sacks and 19 quarterback hits:
“He’s played well. His leadership, work ethic, professionalism are something we like our young players to watch. He’s a true professional, brings a lot to our team.”
▪ Flores declined to answer a big-picture question about whether 2021 free agency has helped or hurt his roster. He said his focus is on the 3-10 Jets, who “played us well the last time we played them. They’ve got some talented players, play hard. They gave us some issues the last time.”
The Dolphins beat the Jets 24-17 on Nov. 21. A win Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium would be Miami’s sixth in a row and get the Dolphins to 7-7.
▪ Dolphins rookie receiver Jaylen Waddle enters the week tied with Keenan Allen and Hunter Renfroe for fifth in the league with 86 receptions. His 849 yards in receptions rank 21st in the league.
“He’s done a good job, taken in all the information, learned multiple positions, been out there in practice pretty much every day,” Flores said. “He’s gotten better every day and he wants to get better. I’ve been pleased with his development over the course of the season. Hopefully that continues.”
▪ Safety Eric Rowe is close to the team lead in tackles, surprising considering he hasn’t played as many snaps as a year ago. Rowe has 64 tackles, just behind Jerome Baker’s 66.
“He’s got a better understanding of his fits in the run game from just two years ago when he just moved to the position,” defensive coordinator Josh Boyer said. “Eric has always been a good tackler. [And] he’s doing a real good job in the pass game of seeing where the ball is going, breaking and getting to the football.”
Safety Brandon Jones, incidentally, appreciates how selfless Rowe has been even though Jones has taken some of his playing time.
“Eric is one of the nicest people I know,” Jones said. He’s done an awesome job, even since I got here of just helping me better myself as a player. “Even with just small-detailed stuff, whether it’s man coverage, a better way of using my feet, using my hands, and just talking through scheme stuff.
“I struggled a little bit with the playbook and stuff in my role last year. He was a really big part of helping me feel comfortable on the field.. He’s been a really big part of my success.”
This story was originally published December 13, 2021 at 1:23 PM.
