MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — There might not be a single team with as many tantalizing options in the return game as the Miami Dolphins.
And with the new kickoff rules designed to bring returns back to the game, there was speculation that the Dolphins might unleash burners like Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De’Von Achane on opposing special teams this fall.
And that still absolutely could happen in key moments. But for the most part, the Dolphins seem likely to run back their plan from 2023.
2024 Role for Miami Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle
Braxton Berrios handled all 18 Dolphins kickoff returns last year, and it seems as though special teams coordinator Danny Crossman liked what he saw.
“Me and Mike [McDaniel] and Reek had talked about it a little bit before the first or second practice,” Waddle said. “We talked about it a little bit. But yeah, I mean, if it’s something … I mean, Braxton’s a dangerous returner, so he’s gonna handle business back there.”
Waddle certainly left the impression that he would be just fine with doing more. But it’s not in his nature to force the issue.
Keep in mind, this is a guy who in 2021 broke the NFL rookie receptions record, only to see the Dolphins trade for Tyreek Hill a few months later. Adding arguably the best wide receiver in the league to the roster necessarily meant that Waddle’s role would diminish.
Waddle’s targets have decreased in each of his last two years — from 140 in 2021 to 117 in 2022 to 104 in 2023. But he never made waves about the demotion.
He’s just quietly gone about his business, posting three straight 1,000-yard seasons and having arguably the best 2024 training camp of any Dolphins player.
“I come from Alabama, man,” Waddle said Monday. “We got a lot of different playmakers out there, and we got to feed everyone the ball. Obviously, when you grab a guy like Tyreek Hill, you know they’re gonna feature him a lot.
“So it’s all about making the most of the opportunities that you have. The same approach that I had in college got me to where I wanted to go. The same approach that I had when we added a guy like Tyreek and all these different playmakers that we got to get the ball.”
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The Dolphins this offseason rewarded Waddle’s professionalism with a four-year, $84.5 million extension. He and college teammate Tua Tagovailoa are now both under contract through 2028, meaning there’s a real chance that the tandem plays a decade-plus together when all is said and done.
“That’s a lot of ball,” Waddle said. “Man, he got a crazy journey. I’m just going back to at least when I first got into the league, all the stuff that was going around, until now, him getting a big deal done. His journey has been crazy, and I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
