MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins are hoping to have their new receiving dynamic duo available for Sunday’s season opening matchup against New England.
During the offseason, Miami acquired perineal Pro Bowl wideout Tyreek Hill and signed him to a lucrative four-year deal.
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The plan is for Hill to join last year’s rookie standout Jaylen Waddle and become one of the league’s top pass-catching combos.
That plan took a seat on the side shelf in recent weeks as Waddle missed practicing while nursing a quad injury.
Waddle was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice, but on Thursday his status was upgraded and he practiced fully.
That lines up with Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s recent optimism regarding Waddle’s status for Week 1.
The sooner Waddle got back into the swing of things, the better, as illustrated on Wednesday by Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa.
“I think there’s still some things that we’ve got to continue to work on with me and Jaylen,” Tagovailoa said. “You don’t just go from working (together) consistently to working with other guys consistently, while Jaylen is trying to heal up, and then you come back and it’s all figured out.”
As a rookie in 2021, Waddle was nothing short of spectacular.
He set an NFL record for receptions by a rookie with 104 while setting a Dolphins franchise record for reception yards by a rookie with 1,015.
Waddle was also selected to the Pro Bowl and was a First-Team AP All-Pro.
Now he’s joined in the receiver room by Hill, who has been a Pro Bowler in each of his six NFL seasons and has a wealth of knowledge into what it takes to succeed at the highest level.
Hill and Waddle are just two of many weapons Tagovailoa will have at his disposal this season, along with a fortified offensive line and upgraded running back room.
Miami will have far fewer excuses on offense if the unit struggles in 2022.
After finishing last season with a 9-8 record while boasting one of the top defenses in the NFL, there is plenty of room for improvement on the offensive side of the ball.
With McDaniel at the helm and Hill joining the bunch, there is also plenty of confidence brimming in Miami Gardens.