Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Parker on injuries: ‘I’m not a robot’
MIAMI GARDENS — DeVante Parker is aware of his reputation.
Parker knows his own fan base mocks him because of the amount of injuries he’s had, the games he’s missed (27) during his sevenyear NFL career and the fact he’s routinely been hindered by soft-tissue injuries since the Miami Dolphins made him a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL draft.
He’s aware his recent hamstring injury, which has forced him to miss the past three games and has him listed as questionable for this week’s game, feeds into his fragile reputation.
“Injuries happen. I’m not a robot. Things happen,” said Parker, who caught 17 passes for 242 yards and one touchdown in the four games he’s played for the Dolphins (1-6) this season.
Parker has practiced on a limited basis all week, with the goal of being cleared to play in Sunday’s road game against the Buffalo Bills (4-2). But those decisions are out of his hands because they are made by Miami’s medical staff and the coaches, who determine whether the team’s leading receiver the past two seasons can help the team.
“The only thing you can do is just try your best to get back on the field,” said Parker, who missed most of training camp and all of the exhibition season because of a shoulder injury he suffered in the offseason. “Just put in the work.”
But Parker isn’t alone in Miami’s MASH unit of a receiving corp.
Will Fuller, the Dolphins’ biggest free-agent addition last offseason with a one-year deal worth $10.6 million, has only played 65 offensive snaps in two games this season because of an NFL suspension, a personal issue that forced him to miss the second week’s game and a broken finger he suffered three weeks ago.
Fuller, who has contributed four receptions for 26 yards and scored on a 2-point conversion, is eligible to come of injured reserve for this Sunday’s game, but the Dolphins will continue to keep him shelved.
“He’s been around. I see him every day in rehab. As far as getting out there and being at practice, mostly he does his work during practice,” coach Brian Flores said, explaining why Fuller never attends practice like other injured players have. “That’s how we have it set up for him and most of our guys who are on IR. They kind of work in our meetings and practice.”
And Preston Williams, a starter for the previous two seasons, has gotten off to a slow start because of the Lisfranc injury in his foot that ended his season prematurely last November. Williams caught three passes for 60 yards in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this month, but has been limited by a groin injury since. Last week he caught one pass in Miami’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, but he dropped another reception.
The fact that Parker, Fuller, Williams and Jaylen Waddle, whom the Dolphins selected at No. 6 in the 2021 draft, haven’t all played in a game together this season isn’t lost on the team. The Dolphins have leaned heavily on the tight ends most of this month and called up receivers such as Isaiah Ford and Kirk Merritt from the practice squad in recent weeks.
Their fragility is the reason Miami’s rebuilt receiver unit has fallen short of expectations this season.
“You know it’s tough not having your brother out there, [not having] everyone. We’re just wishing [Fuller] a fast recovery to get back out there,” said Parker, who has pulled down 315 receptions for 4,454 yards and 23 touchdowns during his Dolphins career. “I feel like we still do have a good receiving corps. We’re dropping balls. We’ve got to make the play when it comes to us. When they give us a chance, you have to come down with it.”
Actually getting on the field, providing second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa some playmaking weaponry is the first step.
Injury report
Linebacker Jerome Baker, the Dolphins leading tackler, is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game because of the knee injury he suffered in Miami’s loss to the Falcons. Baker practiced on a limited basis all week, but his status will likely be a game-time decision.
Center Greg Mancz (groin) and cornerback Noah Igbinoghene (knee/ankle) are also listed as questionable for Sunday’s game.