The Miami Dolphins secured an important piece to their offensive puzzle for the foreseeable future Thursday after agreeing to terms with wide receiver Jaylen on a three-year contract extension worth a maximum of $84.75 million, including $76 million guaranteed, according to a league source. ESPN first reported the news of the deal.
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Waddle, the team’s No. 2 receiver after Miami acquired Tyreek Hill in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs leading up to the 2022 season, gives Miami one of the best 1-2 receivers punches in the NFL.
The 25-year-old has tallied at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons in the league. Last season, the No. 6 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft racked up 72 receptions for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games. In his three years with the Dolphins, Waddle has amassed 251 receptions for 3,385 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Waddle contract a priority
Keeping Waddle for the long term has been a priority for the Dolphins, whose offense ranks among the most prolific in the league thanks largely to the wideout tandem of Waddle and Hill. But team officials have seen Waddle’s ascension to the No. 1 role coming and have now rewarded him by making him one of the five highest-paid receivers in the league. Waddle is the first player in Dolphins history to post three 1,000-yard seasons to open his career. — Mike Jones, NFL national writer
How the Dolphins WRs stack up
Here’s a glimpse at the advanced metrics from 2023 for the Dolphins wide receivers using these categories (via TruMedia and Sports Info Solutions):
• Expected points added (EPA) per target
• EPA per reception
• Catchable-pass percentage
• Overall reception percentage
(Rankings in parenthesis. There were 59 qualified WRs with 75 or more targets and 35 qualified WRs with 40 to 74 targets.)
75-plus targets
| player | EPA/Tar | EPA/rec | Catchable% | Rec% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
0.52 (4) | 1.2 (16) | 85.0 (23) | 69.2 (14) | |
0.41 (13) | 1.2 (14) | 83.7 (33) | 69.2 (15) |
40-74 targets
| player | EPA/Tar | EPA/rec | Catchable% | Rec% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
0.30 (10) | 1.4 (3) | 83.3 (11) | 54.7 (25) |
The Dolphins’ top receivers — Hill and Waddle — are among the most potent pass catchers in the NFL. But, like the Dolphins’ 2023 season, the high notes last year came primarily against weaker opponents.
Hill feasted in Dolphins victories (just one of which came over a team with a winning record) with 0.77 EPA per target and 1.5 EPA per reception. He compiled rates of only 0.02 EPA per target and 0.7 EPA per reception in the losses. Waddle amassed 0.35 EPA per target and 1.0 EPA per reception in the losses; those rates increased to 0.39 and 1.6, respectively, in wins.
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Where will Odell Beckham Jr. fit in this mix? The veteran was still one of the more effective wideouts among those with 40-74 targets. — Larry Holder, NFL senior writer
Who’s next to get paid at WR?
Waddle’s new deal should ring the siren for the Cincinnati Bengals and Pro Bowl wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
Chase, who went No. 5 — one pick before Waddle — in the 2021 NFL Draft, now has the floor for a contract extension. He’s been more productive than Waddle during the same period. So there’s no doubt Chase should cash in with a more lucrative extension than what Waddle just received.
Now will that happen this offseason? The Bengals currently have Tee Higgins on the books on a franchise tag, a $20 million hit for 2024.
And then there are others lurking searching for long-term extensions like the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson, the Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb and the 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk. You’d think more WR contract dominoes will fall because of this extension. But in which order will be intriguing to watch. — Holder
Required reading
- How do AFC wide receiver groups stack up heading into the 2024 season?
- Has the NFL wide receiver market reached a breaking point? How much is too much?
- Odell Beckham Jr. ‘at peace’ as No. 3 WR with Dolphins: How he’ll fit in Miami
(Photo: Megan Briggs / Getty Images)