The 2024 season was extremely underwhelming for the Miami Dolphins. The team won just eight games, and they were significantly impacted by injuries. All of the chaos even resulted in a down year from explosive receiver Jaylen Waddle.
In his fourth season, Waddle finished with less than 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career, catching just 58 passes for 744 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games.
While Tua Tagovailoa missing multiple games had a lot to do with those career-low numbers, Waddle is also taking some blame.
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In a recent ESPN piece, the veteran receiver made it clear he isn’t just blaming his circumstances. He told reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques that he watched the film and came away with some specific things to work on.
"After watching the film, definitely a lot of hand eye (coordination) -- I feel like I'm trying to move without the ball too much," Waddle said. "And just the simple things, just timing, getting smoother in and out of my routes. Pretty much that."
Jaylen Waddle is committed to improving his timing in 2025
For receivers as fast and agile as Waddle, this is a common problem.
They know they can easily elude defenders once the ball is in their hands, so they often try to skip steps to reach that part of the process. Fortunately, Waddle has identified that issue and is committed to fixing it.
Overall, the Dolphins aren’t concerned about the receiver after his down year. The team took note of how well he played when everyone was healthy and believes he will return to being an elite receiver in 2025.
If he does, and the rest of the Dolphins can remain healthy and get back on track, Miami should be back in the mix of contenders.