Fuller Fully Enjoying Reunion Week

Kendall Fuller had a special day in a joint practice with the Washington Commanders.

Jun 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins cornerback Kendall Fuller (29) catches the football during mandatory minicamp at Baptist Health Training Complex. / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Thursday was a day that Kendall Fuller will not soon forget.

In a joint practice with the Washington Commanders — his former team — Fuller got to wear the coveted orange jersey, usually awarded to the best player in the prior practice session. In this instance, Fuller received the jersey as an added incentive to show up and show off against his former teammates.

"[Head Coach] Mike [McDaniel] had said to the team yesterday that he had messed up the last joint practices by not giving it to Calais [Campbell] or Jonnu [Smith] for them being in Atlanta last year," Fuller said. "He was like he couldn't make the same mistake twice, so I definitely appreciate it."

The jersey brought its magic as Fuller came up big Thursday. On the last play of practice, Fuller grabbed an interception thrown by Jayden Daniels in a two-minute drill to give the Dolphins a "victory" after their offense got a field goal in their own two-minute drive.

The receiver, Terry McLaurin, fell on the play, and the interception was routine.

Fuller's pick set off a celebration unusually not seen in practice.

Fuller was asked about his celebration after the game. Some thought he was bowing to the Washington sideline. He quickly said he was not bowing. No disrespect was intended.

"[It was] a celebration that a lot of people on the outside won't understand," Fuller said. "A lot of the guys in Washington knew that that was a celebration that I always did. For them, they all knew what I meant and what I was doing."

Early in practice, it was McLaurin who got the better of Fuller when he beat him for a touchdown reception during a red-zone period.

"Competing against them again, competing against Terry McLaurin," Fuller said, "I think the first or second rep of practice he had a touchdown on me, so to be able to make a play at the end but just to go back and forth and compete against guys, go against a different team, it was fun man."

FULLER READY FOR PRESEASON ACTION

With Fuller joining every other Dolphins starter on the sideline for the preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons last Friday night, it means his likely Miami debut (albeit in the preseason) will come against his former team Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium.

"It'll be fun on Saturday to compete with everybody, Fuller said. "Any time you get to go out there on the football field, you always make it productive. At the end of the day it’s Year Nine, every day out there, you come out here to practice today, you make it productive. There is stuff that you can learn from, grow from. Genuinely I’m not sure how much we are playing at all. I’m going in with that mindset, but at the end of the day, whether you’re on the field or the younger guys are out on the field, you’re still interactive. Any game in the NFL, preseason or not, is a blessing and you try to enjoy it.”

Fuller was one of the Dolphins' most significant offseason additions, coming aboard as an unrestricted free agent to replace fellow 2016 draft pick Xavien Howard to start opposite Jalen Ramsey at cornerback.

After a disappointing season in Washington in 2023 that included a 4-13 record for the team, Fuller is looking for bigger and better things in Miami this season.

“Made some plays, gave up some plays," Fuller said. "I think I played pretty good. As a group, we didn’t play to our standard last year, but that’s a question I genuinely don’t even think about as much just being somewhere new, a new year. Football in general, you got to move on to the next play, move on to the next year. I’m with a new team, a new group of guys. It’s been exciting, and I’m excited to try to do something big here.”