2 min read • March 15, 2022
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William Fuller V is one of the most athletically gifted wide receivers remaining in the free agent market, but has had a chronic problem with staying on the field.
Fuller V, who signed a $10.6 million contract with the Dolphins last spring, played in only 1-and-a-half games because of a broken left middle finger he suffered in Week 4 that eventually required 2 surgeries, including a follow-up in February.
Fuller managed only 4 receptions for 26 yards in his 1 season in Miami, or $2.65 million per reception.
The finger injury, while strange and bothersome, should not be an issue for Fuller V going forward, but it does contribute to a larger narrative that will likely limit his market this year, even as he enters 2022 as healthy as he has been in his career.
Since the 2017 season, the soon-to-be-28-year-old has played in 41 of a possible 81 games while undergoing 3 major surgeries for a torn acl in October 2018, a sports hernia in January 2020, and the recent broken finger.
Even in the one season he was able to stay healthy – 2020 – he missed the final 5 games while serving a suspension for violating the NFL's PED policy that bled into Week 1 of the 2021 season.
When the Notre Dame product has played, he has been an impact player, averaging a career 66/969/7 line projected over a 17-game season as a speed threat to complement the No. 1 guy.
The idea of an “injury prone” NFL player is a misnomer and an unfair label to place on players, but Fuller has not been able to stay on the field, and perception is reality.
Regardless of whether or not he is “injury prone” or healthy going into the season, his market will be affected because he has simply been unable to stay on the field.
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