Jaylen Waddle: Miami Dolphins have what ‘makes for a great team’

The predictions for the Miami Dolphins’ 2025 season haven’t been rosy. BetMGM set the over/under on the NFL team’s victory total at 7.5, and it’s easier to find prognosticators who predict a losing record for Miami than a winning mark.

Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle doesn’t see it that way.

“I think we got great people here,” Waddle said on Wednesday. “Great coaching staff. Everyone’s bought in. So when you have that type of team chemistry on and off the field, then that makes for a great team.”

After Waddle joined Miami from Alabama as the sixth selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Dolphins posted 9-8 marks in his first two seasons and went 11-6 in his third. Two of those seasons included trips to the playoffs. But last season, an 8-9 season kept Miami out of the postseason.

Waddle broke the NFL rookie record for receptions by catching 104 passes in 2021. In 2022, Waddle led the NFL with an average of 18.1 yards per reception. Another 1,000-yard receiving season followed in 2023.

But in 2024, Waddle missed two games and grappled with injuries in others as his production slipped to 58 receptions for 744 yards and two touchdowns.

Waddle’s stats were affected by the injury absence of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, too. In the five games that Waddle played without Tagovailoa in 2024, he averaged 3.4 receptions for 32.6 yards with no touchdowns. In 10 games with his former Crimson Tide teammate throwing the football, Waddle averaged 4.1 receptions for 58.1 yards with two touchdowns.

Waddle sustained an undisclosed injury in a joint practice with the Chicago Bears before Miami’s first preseason game in August, causing him to miss some training camp and preseason work.

But the wide receiver figures his connection with Tagovailoa remains strong, and neither is on Miami’s injury report this week.

“We got a lot of reps in, just over the summer, OTAs, leading into training camp,” Waddle said. “Feel like we got a lot of bank reps just being in the offense the last couple years. But I think we had a lot to learn from from my game and his game and we’re both trying to stride in the right direction, so we both got things to improve on, and we’re making strides for it and helping each other out.”

Waddle has a streak going as he enters the fifth season-opening game of his career on Sunday. In his NFL debut, Waddle had four receptions for 61 yards in a 17-16 victory over the New England Patriots on Sept. 12, 2021, and he has increased his receiving yardage in Game No. 1 each subsequent season.

Waddle had four receptions for 69 yards and one touchdown in a 20-7 victory over New England to open the 2022 season, four receptions for 78 yards in a 36-34 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers to start the 2023 campaign and five receptions for 109 yards in a 20-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars to begin 2024.

Waddle and the Dolphins open the 2025 season at noon CDT Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

“Man, it’s special,” Waddle said. “Week 1’s always special coming off training camp. So, man, yeah, it’s exciting. …

“I think any win is special. But going to someone else’s house, it just brings a dynamic to the team that we can go on the road and get a win in a hostile environment. So every win counts, but a road win is special.”

As in many Miami practices in his past, Waddle expects to compete against cornerback Xavien Howard on Sunday. A three-year teammate of Waddle’s with the Dolphins, including two seasons as a Pro Bowler, Howard is in the Indianapolis secondary now.

“It’s going to be tough, man,” Waddle said. “X is a great competitor, great cornerback. He definitely helped me out a lot in my career. Real good vet. Excited to go against him.”

In 62 NFL regular-season games, Waddle has 309 receptions for 4,129 yards and 20 touchdowns. He’s the 13th player in NFL history to reach all those numbers in his first four seasons.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.