Jaylen Waddle left Miami Dolphins practice on Wednesday with an apparent injury to his right midsection.
The Miami Dolphins scrapped their way to a postseason berth in 2022 despite multiple head injuries to QB Tua Tagovailoa. The offseason began with a simple directive: get healthy, improve the defense, and gear up for a legitimate run at contention next winter.
Well, Tagovailoa is healthy. The Dolphins also improved the defense, trading for star CB Jalen Ramsey. But, the football gods continue to smite poor Miami. Ramsey went down in camp with a knee injury and will be out until at least December. And now, another star joins the injury watchlist.
Jaylen Waddle, the No. 6 pick from the 2021 NFL Draft, exited 11-on-11 drills Wednesday with an apparent injury to his right midsection. He went straight to the locker room after being helped off the field, which isn't the best sign.
Miami Dolphins potentially lose Jaylen Waddle to training camp injury
There hasn't been a concrete update from the Dolphins yet, so it's too early to panic. It wasn't a lower-leg injury and there's a chance Waddle simply bruised a rib or even got the wind knocked out of him. This doesn't invite the same level of existential concern that followed the Ramsey news.
That said, it's a bit disconcerting to see another Dolphins player hit the ground and not get immediately back to their feet. Waddle was an integral part of Miami's elite pass offense last season. The speedster led the NFL in yards per catch (18.1) and ended the season with 1,356 receiving yards despite operating opposite Tyreek Hill, arguably the best receiver in football.
Tagovailoa is a master of the deep ball, making him the perfect QB for Waddle and vice versa. Waddle explodes off the line of scrimmage with truly rare acceleration ability and remarkable evasiveness in the open field. He's impossible to stick with one-on-one and, with the possible exception of his aforementioned teammate, he's the biggest long-range threat in football.
The Dolphins will take solace in the fact that Waddle didn't injure his leg, which means his quickness shouldn't be effected in the long run. That said, any absence from Waddle to start the season would be detrimental for a Dolphins team with minimal margin for error. The Ramsey injury basically ensures that the defense will suffer and, with Buffalo and New York looming, the AFC East is a bloodbath waiting to happen.
Waddle's career trajectory is pointing skyward. Hopefully, he avoids serious injury and can finish camp with the Dolphins, who have all the makings of a breakout contender if the can simply stay healthy and get the entire team on the field.