In a career hampered by injury, Miami Dolphins WR DeVante Parker finds himself on the injured reserve with a hamstring injury setback. With Parker set to miss his fifth game of the season, when could we see him back on the field for the Dolphins in 2021?
DeVante Parker was placed on the IR ahead of Week 9
The Dolphins’ Week 10 game against the Ravens will be Parker’s second on the IR. A minimum stint on the IR is three games, so Parker will also miss the Dolphins’ Week 11 game against the New York Jets at the very least. He would be eligible to return from the IR the following week against the Carolina Panthers.
However, just because Parker is eligible to return then, it doesn’t mean he will return to game action. At that point, he will be eligible to return to practice. Once he does return to practice, the Dolphins will have 21 days to activate him to the 53-man roster.
When might the Dolphins activate him?
That makes the time frame murky for when Parker could return. He could be back on the field in Week 12, but equally, the Dolphins could exercise caution with the former first-round selection. Parker is under contract with the Dolphins until 2023. Therefore, with the 2021 season virtually over for the Dolphins in terms of the playoffs, they may decide to shut him down for the season or only bring him back for the last game or two.
The flip side to that is that none of Parker’s money is guaranteed, and the current head coach and general manager combination appear to be under pressure. Thus, if Parker is not in their future plans, they may decide to put him back on the field in the hope of finishing strong to keep their jobs into the 2022 season.
Parker has a long injury history and has had multiple hamstring injuries
There is no shortage of injuries in Parker’s history. However, the hamstring injuries stand out prominently. According to draftsharks.com, Parker has had 15 documented injuries since entering the NFL in 2015. That is an average of more than two injuries per season since he was drafted. Of those 15 injuries, 7 are recorded as some sort of hamstring injury of varying severities.
All of this has meant that Parker has managed to play 16 games just once in his career (2019). The upside is that, until this season, he had never missed more than five games in a season. Still, during his career, Parker has often appeared on the injury report and been able to suit up. That willingness to play through injury has likely not helped Parker to perform consistently throughout his career.
Preston Williams will return at WR for the Dolphins in Week 10
In Parker’s absence, Preston Williams will play his fourth game of the season. Williams has had mixed success in those games. Overall, his numbers are 5 receptions on 12 targets for 67 yards this year. However, Williams provides a valuable option in this offense without Parker.
Williams is the field-stretching option for the Dolphins against the Ravens. He averages 14.2 yards per reception in his career. His average depth of target in 2019 and 2020 were 13.6 and 14.5, respectively. While that has dropped to 9.3 in 2021, his role in this offense is still clear. Yet, Williams is an inconsistent player, with 9 drops on 107 targets (8.4% drop rate).
Williams’ performances may lack consistency, but without Parker, the WR’s role is crucial to the functioning of Miami’s offense.