The Miami Dolphins’ offensive line woes have reached new heights for this 2021 regular season. Miami has been playing musical chairs up front all season in a bid to try to find the right combination of talents to kickstart their offense. And now, according to head coach Brian Flores, the team is going to have to press onward without one of their most consistent performers. Flores shared with the South Florida media on Friday that center Michael Deiter was injured at practice this week and is officially out against the Colts. And, more notably, likely headed to injured reserve.
Dolphins coach Brian Flores Says Starting Center, Michael Deiter was injured at practice Wednesday, will be out Sunday vs the Colts and is likely to go on injured reserve
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) October 1, 2021
This is a tough blow for Miami up front, who will now likely call upon Greg Mancz to fill the void on the interior. Mancz was acquired by the Dolphins via trade this summer with the Baltimore Ravens — a move that now can hopefully help Miami bridge the gap as they look to transition to life without Deiter up front for the time being.
Deiter, a third-year pro out of Wisconsin, has been making the most of his opportunities to play in Year 3 after spending the vast majority of his second season with the Dolphins on the bench as a backup. He started 15 games for Miami at left guard back in 2019 but has transitioned well to the center position.
Now, Miami can only hope he sustains that momentum the next time Miami sees him on the field — whenever that may be. And in the meantime, the job presumably will belong to Greg Mancz.