Jaylen Waddle could only watch as Jon-Eric Sullivan made several cuts to open the Miami Dolphins' official offseason. His thoughts on the subject are not surprising, but he also realizes that at some point, he too will be on the receiving end of one of those releases.
Waddle was a guest on Terron Armstead's YouTube show, The Set, and the two former teammates spoke about a lot of things, but when it came to those specific releases, including Tyreek Hill, Waddle leaned on his own pre-trade deadline situation that almost sent him out of Miami.
Jaylen Waddle tells it like it is regarding the Miami Dolphins and the NFL
Waddle was close to being traded ahead of the 2025 NFL deadline. That ultimately fell through, and some believe a trade this offseason could also move the WR out of South Florida. That's something he knows is part of the NFL.
"People don't realize how ruthless this business is. I got a glimpse of that this season. I was freaking out about (the) trade, I was like, 'Me, what, trade?' It reminds me of how cutthroat this business is. "Jaylen Waddle
Waddle knows that a team that is not winning isn't going to keep the status quo long. "When a team isn't winning, there will be changes. That's what happened (with the Dolphins), contracts and everything. Teams only care about winning."
It wasn't a derogatory comment; it was honest and also very much true. The NFL is all about winning; that's where the money is. Teams that find success hold the trophy at the end of the year. The league itself doesn't care what teams do with contracts; they get paid regardless.
Stephen Ross isn't the type of owner who wants to accept losing as his legacy, but his decision-making since taking over the Dolphins entirely has been more questions than answers.
Waddle's future with the Dolphins could ultimately look similar to that of Tyreek Hill's. At some point, his contract will become a problem, and the Dolphins will need to decide if he should get another extension when it's over. That isn't likely in today's NFL.