Ted Johnson joins Sports Sunday to share his thoughts on the Patriots acquisition of WR DeVante Parker
Why were the Miami Dolphins willing to trade DeVante Parker to a division rival?
Sure, Parker became a luxury for Miami after it acquired star wide receiver Tyreek Hill via trade. But what made the Dolphins comfortable with dealing Parker to the New England Patriots, whom they'll face twice this season in the competitive AFC East?
Here's one potential answer: Based on Parker's track record, it's no guarantee he plays in both of those Patriots-Dolphins games in 2022.
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SIGN UP HERE Curran: Analyzing Parker's on-field and financial fit with Pats
The 29-year-old wideout has played just one full season in his seven-year NFL career, missing 20 of a possible 113 regular-season games. He played in just 10 of Miami's 17 games last season and has missed at least two games in five of his seven seasons.
The fantasy football website DraftSharks.com projects Parker to miss 2.9 games for New England this season and places the probability of him missing at least two quarters due to injury at 90%.
So, what are Parker's areas of concern? Here's a rundown of the major injuries he's sustained in his playing career:
College
- October 2013: Left shoulder sprain -- one game missed
- August 2014: Broken bone in left foot -- seven games missed
2015 (First NFL season)
- June: Broken screw in surgically-repaired left foot -- three preseason games missed
- October: Torn scar tissue in left foot -- two games missed
2016 (Second NFL season)
- August: Left hamstring injury -- one preseason game and one regular-season game missed
2017 (Third NFL season)
- October: Right ankle sprain -- three games missed
2018 (Fourth NFL season)
- August: Broken right middle finger -- three preseason games and two regular-season games missed
- September: Left quad strain -- three games missed
2020 (Sixth NFL season)
- December: Hamstring strain -- two games missed
2021 (Seventh NFL season)
- October: Shoulder injury -- three games
- November: Hamstring/shoulder injury -- four games
That's not even the full list of Parker's ailments, as he also played through a back injury in 2016 and a groin strain in 2020.
New England Patriots
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Parker is a competitor who has pushed through multiple injuries and enjoyed a breakout season in 2019 -- 72 catches for 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns -- while playing all 16 games.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pound wideout is a legitimate injury risk, though, so the Patriots will still need wide receivers Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor to produce in 2022 if they want to have sustained success through the air.