The Miami Dolphins’ season took ͏another ͏painful͏ turn this ͏week as ͏the team ͏confirmed a major roster shake-up before their Week ͏8 matchup. A once-promising offensive͏ unit has now been forced to confront another ͏setback, leaving fans and analysts questioning how ͏the group ͏will move forward.
Can the Miami Dolphins’ Offense Withstand Another Major Blow?
The Dolphins’ worst fears were realized when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that “Dolphins placed TE Darren Waller on the injured reserve list and signed TE Greg Dulcich to their active roster off their practice squad.”
Dolphins placed TE Darren Waller on the injured reserve list and signed TE Greg Dulcich to their active roster off their practice squad. pic.twitter.com/kaGht52Tk9
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 22, 2025
The move follows Waller’s pectoral injury sustained during the Dolphins’ Week 7 loss to the Cleveland Browns, as first detailed by Joe Rutland of PFSN.
Rutland reported that Waller sustained a pectoral injury during Sunday’s matchup and was later marked as questionable to return, as announced by the Dolphins on their official X account.
His absence was immediately felt, as the veteran tight end failed to record a single catch in the first half, a rare occurrence for one of the Dolphins’ most dynamic offensive weapons. At halftime, the Dolphins trailed the Browns 17–6, and the momentum only worsened after Waller’s departure.
Rutland pointed out how Waller’s absence affected the entire offense, writing that the Dolphins, along with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and head coach Mike McDaniel, could be in for a difficult second half without their starting tight end.
That prediction quickly proved accurate when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw an interception early in the second half, allowing Cleveland to extend its lead to 24–6.
Waller’s importance to the Dolphins’ passing game cannot be overstated. Before the injury, he had posted 10 receptions for 117 yards ͏and four touchdowns͏ this season, impressive numbers for a player who had come out͏ of retirement after the͏ 2023 campaign.͏
His return to the league had inspired optimism, but the setback now places him on injured reserve for at least the next four games.
As Rutland noted, this development compounds the Dolphins’ offense’s problems. The team already lost wide receiver Tyreek Hill to a leg injury earlier this year. The Dolphins reflect that decline, with a 70.4 Offense Impact Score and a C-grade from PFSN’s Offense Impact metric.
Without W͏aller, McDa͏n͏iel will likely͏ turn ͏to tight end Ju͏lia͏n Hill,͏ currently second on the depth chart, ͏to fill the ͏void. But the ͏adjustment may not be easy. As the team heads͏ into a pivotal Week 8 ͏clash against the ͏Atlanta Falcons, ͏T͏agovai͏loa’s chemistry with his ͏new targets͏ could define the Dolphins’ short-term future.
The Dolphins’ offense, once known for its explosiveness, now faces one of its most uncertain stretches yet, and the loss of Darren Waller might be the toughest test of all.
