Who will step up for the Miami Dolphins if they lose Jaylen Waddle for the year?
By Brian Miller
When Jaylen Waddle went down on Sunday it was reported that the Miami Dolphins receiver suffered a shin injury. It now appears to be a high ankle sprain.
If this is a high ankle sprain, Waddle will be shut down the rest of the regular season and could miss the playoffs as well. The severity of the injury will dictate how long Waddle could be out. Recovery time could be anywhere from 4-6 weeks for a bad strain and up to six months if it is severe.
The Dolphins do not know how bad the injury is yet. Mike McDaniel told reporters earlier on Christmas Day that the receiver is dealing with an ankle injury.
Nothing is concrete yet but it appears that at the very least in the best case scenario, Waddle will miss this weeks game against the Ravens. If Waddle does miss time, who steps up and into that role?
Miami made a trade for Chase Claypool who is a big WR with decent speed. He is the most likely candidate to start in his place. Miami will also use Cedrick Wilson, Jr. more as well.
It isn't an ideal situation for the Dolphins who clinched a playoff birth on Sunday with their win over the Cowboys but if they win their final two games they will secure the top seed in the AFC and have a bye week.
That bye week suddenly looks a lot more appealing if it means that Waddle could return in time for the postseason. If he misses four weeks he will be available for the division round of the playoffs.