Accidents rarely happen when it comes to the promotional efforts of NFL teams, with perhaps the exception of the notorious 2013 Lions calendar. For the Dolphins, a one-minute 2020 promotional video that omits multiple key players is raising questions and eyebrows.
Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel lists who’s in and who’s out of the video, wondering what message the team was sending via the absence of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (who recently has said he’ll play in 2020), cornerback Xavien Howard (who was arrested for domestic battery in late December), safety Reshad Jones, defensive back Eric Rowe, offensive lineman Jesse Davis, center Daniel Kilgore, linebacker Jerome Baker, and linebacker Raekwon McMillan.
Making prominent appearances in the video are receiver DeVante Parker, receiver Allen Hurns, receiver Preston Williams, cornerback Nik Needham, tight end Mike Gesicki, tight end Davon Godchaux, safety Bobby McCain, and defensive lineman Christian Wilkins.
"[P]layers do pay attention to who gets put on billboards, season ticket renewal packages and which five jerseys get mass produced by Nike for sale in the team store,” Kelly accurately observes. “They know stuff like these promotional videos cross the desk of the team’s decision-makers and nothing used, or more importantly omitted, is accidental.”
So a message has been sent, both as to the guys in the video -- and as to the guys not in the video. What the message means will be seen in the coming months.