The Miami Dolphins made a big change in 2019 with their decision to part ways with long-time long snapper John Denney — a fixture on the team for over a decade who played on 224 games as a member of the Miami Dolphins. All good things must come to an end, including Denney’s run with the Dolphins. But Denney’s replacement didn’t fare too well in South Florida, Taybor Pepper was replaced after a single season as the snapper for the Dolphins.
His replacement, Blake Ferguson, was recently placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, and as a result the Dolphins have made a new signing to bridge the gap until Ferguson — who is considered a lock to make the team after being drafted as a specialist in this year’s NFL Draft — is eligible to return from his current situation.
The Dolphins announced yesterday that the team had signed 2020 undrafted free agent long-snapper Rex Sunahara from West Virginia to fill the void. Sunahara was credited with handling snaps on field goals, punts and extra points for several seasons with the Mountaineers — and he can now claim an NFL role on his resume as well.
Barring some unforeseen circumstances, Sunahara’s tenure is likely a short stay — a health Blake Ferguson will command that role for the Dolphins. This signing isn’t an indictment of the team’s 2020 draft selection of a snapper, rather it should be seen as a short-term solution to Ferguson’s ineligibility to participate in team activities due to either a positive COVID-19 test or a close call with someone else who tested positive.