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Dolphins receiver Will Fuller to miss home opener for personal issue

Former first-round pick yet to make Dolphins debut after serving final game of 6-game suspension
Miami Dolphins receiver Will Fuller in practice, Aug. 25, 2021
Posted at 12:02 PM, Sep 17, 2021
and last updated 2021-09-17 16:56:28-04

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Will Fuller's debut with the Miami Dolphins will have to wait.

Head coach Brian Flores said Friday that the 27-year-old wide receiver will miss Miami's home opener Sunday against the Buffalo Bills because of a personal issue.

"He's definitely dealing with a personal issue," Flores told reporters. "I respect his privacy and I ask that everyone respects his privacy. We support Will and we'll take it one day at a time."

Fuller was set to make his Dolphins debut after serving a one-game suspension to begin the season.

The 2016 first-round draft pick spent his first five seasons with the Houston Texans, hauling in 209 catches for 3,110 and 25 total touchdowns.

Fuller missed last weekend's 17-16 victory at New England while serving the last of a six-game suspension dating to last season for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

Flores didn't elaborate on Fuller's absence and said the team would "take it one day at a time."

"Look, things arise in our lives," Flores said. "That's kind of what he's dealing with right now. He has our support. He has my support. Is it a surprise? Things happen. When they happen, they're not part of the normal -- your normal every day -- then yeah, it's a surprise from that standpoint. But you deal with it and he's dealing with it and we'll support him. We'll just make our adjustments as a team, play without him and move forward."