One silver lining of the Miami Dolphins' rebuild in 2026 is that there are many spots up for grabs. When there's competition all around, that's football at its purest form. That kind of environment is sure to attract the hungriest and grittiest of players — count Mason Reiger among them. Reiger joins an edge room where there are only two incumbents: Chop Robinson and Cameron Goode.
In other words, he's got a real chance. How does a guy go from putting up 5.0 sacks as a starter for the Wisconsin Badgers, the punctuation on a four-year career that saw him put up 13.0 sacks total, to undrafted? Injuries. Reiger is a true warrior. At one point, he was gently nudged to consider retirement from the sport. Evidently, he wasn't hearing any of that noise.
His final year in Wisconsin earned him a contract with a hefty $175,000 guarantee. He asked Miami to show him the money, and they obliged. Now, with training camp right around the corner, we at the Phin Phanatic sought some answers on what kind of person the Dolphins were getting with Reiger, in addition to the menace we can all see on tape. We phoned Badgers associate head coach / outside linebackers coach Matt Mitchell for an interview to give us the skinny on the Dolphins' rookie EDGE.
Mason Reiger's position coach Matt Mitchell thinks the Miami Dolphins got the player with the "highest motor as there was in college football"
PP: As a person, what should Dolphins fans know about Mason Reiger as he begins his NFL career? How do those qualities set him up for success?
MM: “[I’ve] been coaching college football for 25 years. I love that kid. He’s been through a lot of adversity in his life, has overcome a lot, and a consequence of that is that he’s incredibly gritty. Nothing’s going to break him. Any adversity that comes his way, he’s never going to let anything get him down. He’s just a fighter in terms of that [grit]."
"He’s also a great person, a really high-character person, [and] a great guy. I only had him for one year but he came in the locker room and just [made] an impact. He’s got a really optimistic viewpoint in how he takes things on, so it’s really unique. He fights, scratches, claws, has a lot of determination, a lot of grit, but is also super positive."
"Not in a disrespectful manner, but he doesn’t care that he was [undrafted]. Whether [he’d been] a higher draft pick, mid-round, late round, or a free agent, he’s going to come in and he’s not going to take a backseat to anybody. He’s going to fight and he’s going to earn a spot.”
PP: When did you realize Mason had a legitimate chance at the NFL? Was there a specific game, practice, or moment that convinced you?
MM: "He was coming off an injury at Louisville [when] we got him here in January. He didn’t go through spring [practice]. Fall camp for us, [he] just made a ton of plays. I think he’s got a chance too because of how smart he is. He’s the coach’s dream just because he picks things up the first time. He’s not a guy that has to do a bunch of walk-throughs and things. He’s got a good feel [and] he picks things up fast. We started to get a feel in fall camp like this guy’s different.”
PP: What do you believe is the most underrated part of his game, or the trait that will translate quickest to the NFL?
MM: "I think it really has to do with his attention to detail in regards to preparation. He’s going to be a guy both from a mental standpoint for an opponent and then knowing everything [matchup-wise]. He’s going to study a ton of tape on tackles and tight ends to know their strengths and weaknesses and then attack those."
"He’s also really in tune with physical preparation. The weight room and all that stuff but more importantly the rehab and taking care of his body. If he happens to make it there and starts getting some money, he’s not going to be foolish with things and he's not a big partier or anything like that. I think he can have the disciplined lifestyle [NFL players] live — both in the building and outside of it."
PP: If you could tell Dolphins fans one thing about Mason Reiger that they won't find in a scouting report, what would it be?
MM: “[Mason was] as high a motor, as high an effort guy as there was in college football. Watch the tape and like the Michigan game, [he’s] chasing things down from the backside and all of the things he does. He plays relentless with as high a motor as anything. I think his effort is really going to [stand] out to [fans] as a guy who plays as hard as anybody you’ve ever seen play.”
PP: Is there a story, moment, or memory that you think best captures who Mason is, either as a player or as a person? It could be funny, work-related, or simply something that stuck out to you.
MM: “I just think it’s kind of funny that he’s got a cat. You wouldn't think an NFL EDGE player that played in the Big Ten would be a cat guy, but he’s a cat guy. That’d be the one thing.”
You heard it here first, Dolphins fans. The EDGE rusher with nine lives to survive a brutal injury is a cat guy. How remarkably appropriate. On a more serious note, Reiger has all the tools. At 6'5" and 251 pounds, he looks the part. His play on the field demonstrates the pass-rush ability to get it done at the next level. Now it's all about letting nature take its course. If Reiger rises to the challenge, the Dolphins may have their next Cameron Wake right beneath their noses.
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