Dolphins’ WR Will Fuller to miss Buffalo Bills game for personal reasons
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Will Fuller will not play in Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills due to a personal issue, according to Dolphins coach Brian Flores.
The head coach said the wide receiver’s status will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis, and that Fuller would remain on the Dolphins’ active roster. Flores emphasized that the player has the team’s support.
As Fuller did not play the season opener, Flores said the Dolphins already know how to function offensively without the wide receiver, and would make adjustments as a team as needed.
Fuller's aborted debut with the Dolphins
The Bills game would have been Fuller’s debut with the Dolphins this season, after serving out a six-game suspension for violating NFL policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He was handed the punishment as a member of the Houston Texans and served the first games of his suspension last year.
He completed the sanction last Sunday, missing the Week 1 game against the New England Patriots, which the Dolphins won 17-16. Fuller joined the team to practice on Wednesday for the first time since coming out of the suspension, but then skipped Thursday and Friday.
It is not clear if and when Fuller will come back to the team.
Fuller to strengthen Dolphins offense
Fuller inked a one-year contract with the Dolphins worth $10 million in the offseason in March, after playing the first five years of his career with the Texans as the number two wide receiver beside DeAndre Hopkins.
The 2020 NFL season was Fuller’s best in terms of numbers, with career-best performances. He finished with 53 receptions, 879 yards, 16.6 yards per catch, and eight touchdowns in eleven games.
He was signed on as Miami beefed up its offense this offseason, with the Dolphins also drafting wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and tight end Hunter Long. Fuller was expected to be a main player for the team’s offense, so in his absence, Waddle and DeVante Parker may see more action.