This offseason, the Miami Dolphins made a large number of difficult decisions.
Perhaps no decision was more difficult than moving on from 27-year-old wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who produced 1,000-yard receiving seasons in the first three years of his NFL career and was under contract through the 2028 season.
Aside from moving on from a fan favorite, who was already sixth in franchise history for receiving yards, there are very few worse feelings than moving on from a talented player and seeing them go on to thrive elsewhere. The Miami Dolphins already experienced that with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, as they traded him for a first-round pick that ended up turning into Austin Jackson. Jackson failed to live up to his draft pedigree, while Fitzpatrick became a five-time Pro Bowl selection.
Fortunately, early returns seem to favor the Dolphins in Jaylen Waddle’s instance. Now, the former Dolphins receiver has received more bad news in what has already been a disappointing season.
Former Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver Jaylen Waddle Appears on Injury Report
Heading into Week 7 of the NFL season, former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle appears to be dealing with a chest injury. He popped up on Denver’s injury report as he was a limited participant in Denver’s practice session.
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Waddle, who has probably unfairly received an injury-prone label, has played in every game for the Denver Broncos this season. However, his production has failed to live up to his past performances with the Miami Dolphins.
Waddle has had more than 40 receiving yards in only one game this season. The former Dolphins wide receiver is currently on pace for a career-low 646 receiving yards despite being on pace for the most targets he’s received since the 2022 season.
An injury is the last thing the former Miami sixth overall pick needs in what has been a difficult start to his Broncos career.
Trade Ramifications
With the draft picks the Miami Dolphins received from the Jaylen Waddle trade, they selected Chris Johnson, Chris Bell, Kyle Louis and Trey Moore.
Dolphins on SI’s Alain Poupart argued that the trade continues to look better and better for Miami. He wrote: “The Miami Dolphins sacrificed the present for a better future when they moved Jaylen Waddle in the offseason, but their big trade with the Denver Broncos continues to look good in the moment…
It probably will take a couple of years before a final verdict can be rendered on this trade, but the early indications are that it was a big win for Miami.”
Poupart added: “Waddle was expected to provide the big-play element to a Denver team that reached the AFC Championship Game last year, but instead their offense has faced little but criticism this season even though the team still has a 4-2 record.
Meanwhile in Miami, we also could make the argument that Johnson has performed better, particularly considering he’s a rookie. While the start of his NFL career was bumpy, he has been impressive of late”
As Poupart mentioned, it’s too early for a final verdict, but at this time there is no reason for remorse on the Miami Dolphins end.
Dolphins Breathe Sigh of Relief as Jaylen Waddle Gets More Bad News