Dolphins mull future at wide receiver, with lots of help needed. And more news
In 2023, it has reasonable to ask whether the Dolphins had the best wide receiver tandem in football.
Three years later, the depressing debate is whether they have even two receivers who would warrant a top-four role on a championship-contending team.
Jaylen Waddle certainly does, but his three-month performance after Tyreek Hill’s injury would suggest he’s better-suited to be a No. 2 receiver than a No. 1.
Malik Washington would have a role on most any team as a top returner and a potential No. 4 or 5 receiver. But is he a No. 3 on a winning team?
Theo Wease, promoted from the practice squad in the final weeks, could be a No. 4 with potential for more. But it’s impossible to make grand conclusions on an undrafted player with six career receptions (albeit for 139 yards and a touchdown).
Tahj Washington and practice squad receiver AJ Henning seem more likely to compete for a 53rd spot than log heavy offensive snaps for a contender. And Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, under contract for next season but with no guaranteed money due, seems likely to be released.
So with Tyreek Hill and his big nonguaranteed contract likely on the way out the door, the Dolphins need to rebuild a position that might still be the envy of the league if Hill hadn’t injured his knee, if Tua Tagovailoa hadn’t regressed to the point of losing his job, and if Waddle looked more like the player who had 1,356 yards receiving on a league-leading 18.1 yards per catch in 2022 than the one who had 910 on 14.2 this past season.
Of Waddle’s 75 receptions during his first season playing opposite Hill and in Mike McDaniel’s offense, 60 went for first downs. That dropped to 38 of 58 in 2024 and 48 of 64 this season.
He had 26 receptions of 20 or more yards in 2022. This season? Just 14. But the quarterback deserves more blame for that than Waddle.
His speed on deep patterns — one of his greatest strengths — has been neutralized to a large extent because of substandard quarterback play and Tagovailoa’s lack of arm strength.
And that’s one reason his 3.6 yards after catch was 111th among 219 NFL receivers this season.
How does that compare to the top receivers of his draft class? Cincinnati’s JaMarr Chase averaged 5.2 in YAC (46th). Philadelphia’s Devonta Smith averaged 3.8, which ranked 104th.
Waddle had just one 100-yard receiving game all season (110 against Carolina) and missed the finale with a rib injury.
Buffalo offered a 2027 first-rounder and a third-rounder for Waddle at the trade deadline, but the Dolphins understandably didn’t want to deal him to a division rival. Perhaps two first-rounders would have clinched a deal, but that’s not a realistic return for a receiver who’s not a clear-cut No. 1.
The case for trading Waddle? Only if you want to do a double secret tank to increase your chances of drafting No. 1 in 2027, when Texas’ Arch Manning looms as the big prize. But we all know how it worked out when they tried that in 2019.
Otherwise, trading a good player on an affordable contract for the crapshoot of a draft pick seems short-sighted, especially considering Miami’s general dearth of talent otherwise at the position. And it was telling that new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan mentioned Waddle among players that he regards as good “pieces” moving forward.
So besides Waddle, who else among this hodgepodge group of receivers could have a meaningful future here? Likely Malik Washington and perhaps Wease. But the list probably ends there.
Washington’s yards per reception dropped from 8.6 as a rookie (on 26 receptions) to 6.9 (on 46) this season. As a rookie in 2024, 13 of his 26 receptions went for first downs. This past season, it was 16 of 46.
But don’t blame Washington entirely, or even mostly, for that. McDaniel dialed up a bunch of screens that weren’t well blocked.
To his credit, Washington averaged 5.7 in yards after catch, which was 39th in the league. That means that on average, Washington was being attacked by defenders just barely over a yard after he caught the ball.
What could solve that problem?
“Maybe being more involved so the guys are on the same as far as the blocking scheme and giving me room to catch the ball and run with it and making the right plays and seeing the holes my guys are blocking for me,” he said. “They do a great job.”
But that low per-catch average is no recipe for consistent success.
On plays that aren’t screens, does Washington need to create more separation from cornerbacks?
“There’s a lot that goes into it,” he said. “Sometimes it’s not your job to get open. Sometimes my job might be to work for another guy. I want to continue to improve my route running, continue to improve on timing of things.
“I’m going to work this offseason on being a much better separator and continue my YAC. I’ve had a lot of plays called back unfortunately. A lot of those plays don’t go on the stat sheet. But those plays are still on film.”
Washington, whose offensive snap count rose from 414 as a rookie to 563 this past season, excelled as a returner. His 26.8 kickoff return average was ninth in the league (minimum 20 returns) and his 965 kick return yards were sixth.
Also, he was one of only 10 NFL players that returned a punt for a touchdown, and his 13.0 yard average was seventh (minimum 20 returns).
“I wanted to go to the Pro Bowl this year,” he said. “I felt I could.”
Wease provided some hope late in the season with his combination of good size (6-2) and decent speed.
“He was one of the guys we really targeted and were looking to draft him,” Dolphins receivers coach Robert Prince said. “He fell through the cracks, we were able to get him, and we were extremely happy with that and his development.”
Is his goal for next season simply to make the 53-man roster or be a rotation player?
“Make the 53,” he said, somewhat surprisingly. “If they want me to be a rotation guy, I’ll be a rotation guy.”
But let there be no doubt: He said he “100%” sees himself as an NFL starter long-term.
The offseason focus for improvement will be “my speed of play and my aggression and how I attack my routes. I’ve got more sense of urgency on my routes. I’ve gotten better at that.”
News notes
The Dolphins scheduled their introductory news conference for Sullivan and new coach Jeff Hafley for 11 a.m. Thursday. It will be streamed on the Dolphins’ YouTube channel.
▪ The Dolphins signed linebacker Seth Coleman to a futures contract. He spent the summer with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent but was cut in late August and was unemployed until the Colts signed him to their practice squad Oct. 21. He was waived six days later.
At Illinois, he appeared in 56 career games with 42 starts through six seasons, recording 183 tackles, 15.5 sacks, 27.5 tackles for loss, 15 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
▪ Add Vikings passing game coordinator Brian Angelichio to the list of potential candidates for Miami’s offensive coordinator job, per CBS. He worked with Hafley in college at Pittsburgh and Rutgers, and in the NFL at Tampa Bay and Cleveland.
The Dolphins asked for permission to speak to Dallas special teams coach Carlos Polk, according to ESPN’s Cowboys reporter Todd Archer.
▪ The Jaguars are expected to hire Dolphins cornerbacks coach Mathieu Araujo for the same position, per CBS.
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This story was originally published January 21, 2026 at 2:29 PM.
