The Latest on Miami Dolphins WR

So it turns out that the shin injury that knocked Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle out of the Dallas Cowboys game wasn’t a shin injury at all.

Rather, it was a high ankle sprain, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Monday.

Given how tricky high ankle sprains can be, Waddle’s status for Sunday’s massive showdown against the Baltimore Ravens is in doubt, although there is reason for optimism it won’t keep him out long.

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Waddle injured his ankle on a carry late in the third quarter Sunday night. He hobbled off the field, went to the locker room for further evaluation, and when he returned, tried to loosen it up on the sidelines.

That effort was unsuccessful; Waddle was done for the game after just 28 of a possible 65 snaps. (He also missed time earlier in the game after getting poked in the eye.)

The ankle issue is at least the seventh different injury Waddle has dealt with this season. He missed a couple of weeks in training camp with an oblique injury, and since the start of the season, he’s suffered a concussion and has hurt his back, chest, and knee in games this year.

And yet, Waddle’s 611 snaps are the most among Miami receivers, and he’s second among all Dolphins in targets (104), catches (72), yards (1,014), and touchdowns (4).

That toughness is a big reason why McDaniel didn’t seem excessively concerned about Waddle’s long-term status.

“He’s a really, really tough player,” McDaniel said on a Zoom call with local reporters Monday. “He’s battled through several things this year which has made him even more eager just as a playmaker, to kind of make up for that with his play.

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“So, yeah, it does give me optimism because of the individual and because of what he has gone through for sure,” McDaniel added.

“He’s had several things that have been real that other players might take him longer, especially at that position, might take him longer to come back from. So I do have a lot of confidence in him.”

If Waddle cannot go against the Ravens, the task for McDaniel gets even taller.

Baltimore’s defense entered the team’s Christmas night game against the San Francisco 49ers ranked first in yards per play (4.4), scoring (16.1), yards per pass (4.9), red-zone efficiency (37.5%), and second in total defense (287.9), EPA per play (-.128), dropback EPA (-.139), and passer rating (75.8).

Waddle isn’t the Dolphins’ only injury concern at wide receiver. Robbie Chosen seems unlikely to play against the Ravens after suffering a concussion Sunday night.

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