Former Louisville Cardinals edge rusher Mason Reiger is a free agent again after the Miami Dolphins terminated his contract with an injury settlement.
The Dolphins waived Reiger with an injury designation and later reached a settlement that ended his brief NFL stay. He went unclaimed on waivers and is now available to any team.
The nature of the injury was not disclosed.
For Cardinals fans, the news lands as another twist in a career defined by persistence. Reiger arrived at Louisville as a walk-on from Conant High School in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
He worked his way onto scholarship and into the rotation, appearing in 32 games for the Cards from 2020-2023 before a knee injury wiped out his 2024 season.
His 2023 campaign remains the highlight of his Louisville tenure. Reiger finished with 22 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks. He delivered one of his best games in the Cardinals’ upset of Notre Dame, posting four tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.
He also contributed in the ACC Championship Game against Florida State as Louisville reached that stage for the first time in program history. Career totals at Louisville: 49 tackles, 8.0 sacks and four forced fumbles.
Complications from offseason knee surgery followed. One doctor suggested he consider medical retirement.
Reiger disagreed, entered the transfer portal and spent his final college season at Wisconsin, where he added five more sacks and earned East-West Shrine Bowl Defensive MVP honors. Combined, he finished his college career with 13 sacks in 44 games.
Miami signed him as a priority undrafted free agent after the 2026 draft, guaranteeing roughly $150,000 to $175,000.
Reiger generated positive camp buzz and recorded a sack in the preseason opener against Washington that the Dolphins highlighted on social media. Less than a week later, he was off the roster.
Injuries have been a recurring theme. They cost him his last season in Louisville and now his first real shot in the NFL. At 24, with proven production when healthy and a motor that carried him from walk-on to Shrine Bowl standout, Reiger’s story is unfinished.
Cardinals fans who watched him develop on the edge will hope another team gives him a chance to prove the resilience that defined his time in Louisville still applies at the next level.
