The Dolphins had a significant injury scare in practice this week, as wide receiver Jaylen Waddle went down with an injury to his midsection. However, it appears that the third-year wideout will be “fine” and avoided a much more serious injury.
After Miami’s preseason game vs. the Falcons on Friday, coach Mike McDaniel explained that Waddle’s offseason has been strong-enough where he can take some time to heal.
“He’s banked enough quality reps that I’m not really worried about his participation within the offense,” McDaniel said. “Fortunate that it is not something that will be a long-term deal. He’s steadily rehabbing and working with the trainers.”
Mike McDaniel on Jaylen Waddle’s injury pic.twitter.com/pPdwQRmSL6
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) August 12, 2023
Waddle has been healthy throughout his career, playing in 33 of 34 possible regular season games since entering the league in 2021. He has started his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons, including a league-leading 18.1 yards per reception last year.
Miami has already had to deal with a major injury, as star cornerback Jalen Ramsey needed to undergo knee surgery after an injury in practice that will force him to miss the start of the season. McDaniel did not say when he expects Waddle to return to practice, but it doesn’t seem like it will be long.