The Miami Dolphins, despite needing to trim their roster to become cap-compliant by the start of the new league year, have already begun re-signing some of their own pending free agents and signing those who were not under contract at the end of the 2023 season.
One of those players was defensive lineman Isaiah Mack, who the Dolphins signed to a one-year deal with a $985,000 cap hit.
It’s unclear whether or not Mack will make the final roster by the time the regular season roles around, but Dolphins fans should familiarize themselves with one of their newest additions before he hits the practice field for the first time.
Here are a few things to know about Mack:
Previous stops
Mack played his collegiate ball for Chattanooga before going undrafted in 2019. Since then, he’s spent time with the Tennessee Titans (2019-20), New England Patriots (2020), Denver Broncos (2021), Pittsburgh Steelers (2021), Baltimore Ravens (2021-22), Seattle Seahawks (2022), New York Jets (2023) and Washington Commanders (2023).
Despite all of those stops, he’s only played games for Tennessee, New England and Baltimore. In 25 appearances, Mack has recorded 17 tackles (three for a loss), four quarterback hits, 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.
History with the DC
In 2021 and 2022, Mack played for the Ravens, where his positional coach was new Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver. That familiarity likely played a big part in his signing with Miami and could help his chances of making the roster at the end of the preseason.
PFF grades
Overall:
- 2019: 63.6
- 2020: 38.5
- 2021: 86.8
- 2022: 41.9
Run Defense:
- 2019: 59.8
- 2020: 38.0
- 2021: 65.0
- 2022: 41.0
Pass Rush:
- 2019: 67.2
- 2020: 55.6
- 2021: 84.7
- 2022: 60.3
Almost having to quit football
According to the Athletic, as a teenager, Mack went to the hospital after experiencing stomach issues. At the hospital, Mack and his mother learned that he had testicular torsion, which cuts off the blood supply to the testicle.
Mack had to have his left testicle removed, and there was a chance that playing football would put him at greater risk of losing the right one as well.
After meeting with doctors and taking precautions, Mack, fortunately, never had another issue.