Dolphins confident in Jaylen Waddle as No. 1 receiver after Tyreek Hill's injury

McDaniel believes Waddle is up for the challenge. He noted the Dolphins have always viewed the speedy receiver in the same tier as Hill — not just as a complementary piece, but as a star in his own right. Waddle hasn't been a primary target since his rookie season, but he and the Dolphins will be tasked with figuring out a new-look offense as they hope to build on their first win of the season.

“I think he’s done a fantastic job being an elite receiver, playing with another elite receiver,” McDaniel said of Waddle. "He’s very, very much ready for this moment, as he has seen himself as a One. And we’ve approached it the same way. So there shouldn’t be really an adjustment for Jaylen Waddle because he himself stands alone.”

Waddle has 17 catches for 185 yards and two touchdowns in the first four games of the season. Hill had 21 receptions for 265 yards and a touchdown before he got injured on Monday night.

Waddle said it will be difficult to replicate Hill's production and personality, but he has picked up several pointers playing alongside him since 2022.

“How he approaches the game is unique,” Waddle said. “His preparation, him just being him, honestly, you can just take a lot from his prep.”

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who played with Waddle in college at Alabama, relied on him heavily during Waddle's rookie season in 2021. That was before McDaniel arrived in 2022 and overhauled the offense with his innovative wrinkles, and when Miami’s passing game lacked the playmaking firepower it has now.

Tagovailoa recalled how Waddle had to grow up quickly with little time to adjust from college to the pros, and he delivered. Waddle set an NFL rookie record at the time with 104 catches, finishing with 1,015 yards and six touchdowns.

“College is such a different thing than coming into the NFL,” Tagovailoa said. "How he went about his business that year, just things that we asked of him. He took it upon himself, too, that year that like, ‘I can’t be a rookie. This isn’t the year for me to be a rookie. I’ve got to come in, and I’ve got to go and ball for this team.’”

Waddle put together 1,000-yard seasons his first three years in the league — the ninth receiver in NFL history to begin a career with three straight 1,000-yard seasons.

"So it’s one of those (things) where we get right back into that," Tagovailoa added. “Jaylen understands the offense a lot better than he did the first year Mike came here, so I trust that he’s going to be where he needs to be.”

Tagovailoa predicted defenses may play the Dolphins differently without Hill and Waddle sharing the field. That hasn't happened often. Hill has only missed one game — Week 15 of the 2023 season because of an ankle injury — since he joined the team. Waddle had eight catches for 142 yards and a touchdown that game.

“Jaylen knows that doesn’t give way to me just always looking for him as the target,” Tagovailoa said. “We’ve got to go through the progression and see what the defense wants to run now that 10 (Hill) is out.”

With Hill and Waddle's ability to stretch defenses vertically, opponents have leaned heavily on two-high safety looks against Miami to limit explosive plays downfield. Without Hill, though, that approach could change. Waddle will surely see more attention from defenders, and defenses may feel more comfortable stacking the box to slow down the run.

“That’s the beauty of football,” Tagovailoa said. "We’ll see on Sunday what they want to do defensively, if they do want to keep a shell. Or if they want to fit the box and just tell us, ‘hey, pass the ball on us,’ then we’ll adjust accordingly.”

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