One NFL insider offered a significant update this week on Dolphins’ mindset on the availability of one of their offensive stars ahead of the NFL trade deadline

"It would not surprise me if teams start to call on Miami receiver Jaylen Waddle if the Dolphins continue to struggle, though I highly doubt Miami would entertain that at this point, especially with Tyreek Hill out for the season."

— ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler on potential trade deadline interest on WR Jaylen Waddle

Waddle's first game of 2025 without Tyreek Hill suiting up was a productive one — he posted 6 receptions for 110 yards and a score in Miami's 24-point offensive performance against the Carolina Panthers. Waddle showcased the ability to get after Panthers corner Jaycee Horn in coverage. It serves as a healthy and much needed reminder of what he's capable of as a primary pass catcher.

Potential Miami Dolphins trade deadline candidates

• EDGE defender Bradley Chubb
• EDGE defender Jaelan Phillips
• Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick

Every player has a price.

But for the Dolphins and a home-grown talent like Waddle, who the team has already locked in long-term with a contract extension, it'd be a tough sell to buy the idea that trading Waddle would generate a better product on the field. Even if teams come calling with a marquee offer, such as a first-round draft choice, that's probably only where the conversation should start. Pulling a second-round draft pick at wide receiver and hoping to draft a player as good as Jaylen Waddle is redundant for anything other than the cost.

But if Miami is truly undertaking a reset, you still need to pay someone! And your best players, in the prime of their career, who have proven they can thrive in South Florida feels like a good place to start. Waddle's raw receiving production as of late doesn't do him justice given his status as the alternative option to Tyreek Hill. But since 2022, Waddle has the second-highest EPA/target (0.52) of any wide receiver in the NFL, behind only Detroit's Amon-Ra St. Brown. And yet he is the 26th-most targeted receiver over that period of time. Waddle's EPA/target this season ranks in the top-10 of NFL wide receivers.

That's not the kind of talent you're trading on a discount.

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