The Miami Dolphins’ season has been one filled with injuries and bad luck. Just when the Dolphins seem to be benefitting from some solid play on the field, an injury flares up and kills any momentum the Dolphins hope to maintain. According to Pro Football Reference, the Dolphins have only seen three players log more than 90% of the Dolphins’ snaps thus far throughout the 2019 season:
LB Jerome Baker, S Eric Rowe and OG Michael Deiter. Of these three, Deiter is the only player to be on the field for every single snap of his unit’s performances this season.
But Deiter’s feat actually transcends the Dolphins roster: he’s one of just three offensive rookies in the NFL to play every single snap for his team thus far in 2019. The other two? Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor and Minnesota Vikings center Garrett Bradbury.
Some of Deiter’s achievement in longevity this season falls back onto opportunity. The rookie from Wisconsin has shown some promise with his abilities but there have also been a fair number of growing pains — whether they come via errors in pass protection or simply getting outmatched by the opposition on the other side of the line.
The exposure Deiter is getting to life in the NFL will come in handy in 2020 and beyond, once he’s expected to grow into a more consistent player and be a true asset to the Dolphins’ efforts to right the ship and become a more competitive unit all around. But for now, during this lost season, Deiter can take pride in fulfilling the most basic qualification of being a pro football player: being available and ready to play.
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