MIAMI — Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker suffered a setback in practice Thursday and is doubtful to play Sunday against the Texans, coach Brian Flores said Friday.
Parker, who caught a season-high eight passes for 85 yards against the Bills in Week 8, had missed the team’s previous three games with a hamstring injury before returning last week.
The former first-round pick “re-aggravated” the injury in practice, Flores said.
Flores’ revelation comes on the same day the Cleveland Browns announced they will release wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., subjecting him to waivers. The Dolphins have the second priority on the waiver wire, which is organized in reverse order of team record.
While not mentioning Beckham by name, Flores indicated he expects the Dolphins to consider adding the polarizing receiver.
“We check the waiver wire every day,” he said. “We look at it, we go through it. I expect due diligence on any player that’s on the wire.”
Parker has 25 catches for 327 yards and a touchdown in 2021. Rookie wide receiver Jaylen Waddle has seen 27 targets in the three games without Parker in the lineup, but Miami is thin at the position considering Will Fuller will miss his fifth straight game with a broken finger and his seventh game overall this season.
Because of a disciplinary issue, Preston Williams also missed last week’s game, but Flores said he “potentially” could return in Week 9.
“This is the National Football League — guys go down at all positions,” Flores said. “We just have to kind of move forward and do the best we can with the guys we have. We have a lot of confidence in the guys we have.”
Albert Wilson, Mack Hollins and Isaiah Ford all figure to see increased snaps in Parker’s absence.
Source : ESPN
