Mike McDaniel won't have easy decisions to make with the Miami Dolphins' roster when the team begins trimming later this month, but one player is making his choices a little more complicated.
The Dolphins took to the field on Sunday for the first time since their season ended against the New York Jets, and second-year wide receiver Tahj Washington is going to make McDaniel's job much more difficult.
Washington spent most of his rookie season injured, but in his first action of the 2025 season, he stood out enough to start thinking about the final 53.
Tahj Washington catches the eye of ESPN NFL expert with his preseason performance
Washington looked crisp with his routes, handled the ball well after making the catch, and posted 53 yards on just three receptions in the first half of the game. His performance caught the attention of ESPN's Louis Riddick, who posted: "Like what I'm seeing from Tahj Washington..."
The Dolphins' receiver room is deep this year, even behind McDaniel's top two pass-catchers. Both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle sat out Sunday's exhibition opener, giving the rest of the receivers far more opportunities. Clearly, Washington took advantage.
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Miami will likely carry no more than six receivers at the most. The front-runners behind Hill and Waddle are Malik Washington, Dee Eskridge, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, leaving the final spot up for grabs. If the Dolphins wanted to keep only five receivers, Tahj Washington is going to make McDaniel rethink that approach.
While Washington looked good in his first outing, his primary roster competition, Erik Ezukanma, was quiet as he hopes to give McDaniel a reason to keep him on the 53, or at the very least earn a practice squad spot.
Tahj Washington delivered in the preseason opener, leaving McDaniel with a difficult decision.