Examining Waddle's Comments on Midseason Trade Rumors

When the Miami Dolphins were struggling at the 2025 NFL trade deadline, it seemed like no player was safe from trade rumors, and that included one of the team’s best players: Jaylen Waddle. 

The receiver was the subject of trade speculation for a couple of weeks last season, and some of that has leaked into the offseason. 

In speaking with former Dolphins offensive tackle Terron Armstead on his YouTube show, The Set, Waddle mentioned how those trade rumors made him feel. 

“People don’t realize how ruthless this business is, and how quick you can be changed and let go,” Waddle told Armstead. “I kinda got a little glimpse of that this season when they was having trade and I was like, ‘Me? I’m getting traded?’ I didn’t even know that was a thing. So when you see things like that, it just reminds me how cutthroat this business is. If your team isn’t winning, there’s gonna be changes.” 

To be clear, Waddle brought this up when Armstead asked him for a response to Miami cutting Tyreek Hill, Nick Westbrook-Ikine, James Daniels, and, reportedly, Bradley Chubb this week. 

However, if you’re looking for context clues about whether Waddle wants to stick around in Miami, the fact that he almost felt offended that trade rumors were swirling is a good indication he likes where he’s at. 

Interestingly enough, earlier this offseason, we got some bread crumbs that indicated the Waddle trade speculation might’ve been more than just a rumor. 

Revisiting Rival GM Comments on Trade Deadline

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane spoke about Buffalo’s quest to add a standout receiver, and he mentioned having dealings with another AFC East team. 

Although he didn’t specify that it was an attempt to trade for Waddle, it’s hard not to read into it that way, given the rumors that were swirling at the time, and Beane’s comments. 

"I felt like we had the best offer from all my Intel, which I did find out we did," Beane said. "But I don't know the reason why they didn't pull the trigger. I don't know if they got cold feet on trading the player altogether, or if they just decided they needed more compensation. But they never really countered back to us. 'Hey, if you do this, you can have him.'

"So you never really know, was he really available? Was he not? Or were you just going to have to go to a deal that they just, you know, was so unbelievable that there's no way they could turn it down. I don't know. When you don't get a counter back, it's hard to truly know how willing or not they were willing to move the player."

Could a Waddle Trade Still Happen? 

Anything is possible, and the regime that might’ve gotten cold feet with the Bills isn’t around anymore. So, there’s definitely a chance that new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan decides to move on from Waddle. 

The standout receiver said he had one conversation with HC Jeff Hafley and wide receiver’s coach Tyke Tolbert. 

“We were just getting to know each other,” Waddle said. “It was a simple conversation and got to talk to the new position coach. It was a real thorough, introductory conversation. It was real cool. It was new, but it was a cool conversation. We chopped it up for about 30 minutes. It was something that needed to happen, but it was pretty standard.” 

Obviously, that doesn’t tell us a whole lot about where the organization stands on Waddle, but it does seem like Waddle enjoyed his first conversation with the new staff. 

If we want to keep reading tea leaves, Sullivan mentioned Waddle as a building block during his first interview after taking the job on the team’s YouTube. 

Our opinion remains the same as it did at the trade deadline. The Dolphins should not move Waddle, unless they’re blown away with an offer they can’t refuse. 

Miami tried rebuilding with no talented players on its roster last time, and it didn’t exactly pan out. Waddle is a tremendous receiver who is still young and only responsible for a $11.6 million cap hit this season. 

That number skyrockets to $33 million in 2027, but Miami will figure out a way to restructure that next offseason. The Dolphins should not be in the business of offloading every good, young player on the roster. They can rebuild and have a few good players around.

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