The Miami Dolphins will pick up the fifth-year option on dynamic playmaking wide receiver Jaylen Waddle’s contract, general manager Chris Grier told reporters Tuesday, keeping one of Tua Tagovailoa’s most explosive targets in South Beach through at least the 2025 season.
Waddle’s fifth-year option will cost the Dolphins $15.2 million against the cap in 2025, should Miami and Waddle’s agent fail to come to terms on a long-term contract extension beforehand.
Through his first three seasons, Waddle has emerged as one of the NFL’s most electrifying wide receivers and a dangerous deep-threat, who saw his production skyrocket upon head coach Mike Mcdaniel’s arrival prior to the 2022 campaign.
With 251 receptions for 3,385 yards and 18 touchdowns, Waddle rounds out one of the game’s most explosive receiver duos opposite Tyreek Hill.
How DeVonta Smith, Jerry Jeudy Deals Impact Miami Dolphins, Jaylen Waddle
It isn’t necessarily a coincidence that the Dolphins picked up Waddle’s option just over 24 hours after the Philadelphia Eagles inked DeVonta Smith to a three-year deal worth $75 million. Likewise, the Cleveland Browns signed Jerry Jeudy to an extension that will pay him $52.2 million.
Perhaps Grier and the Dolphins learned from losing Christian Wilkins in free agency, to the Las Vegas Raiders, and will look to sign Waddle to a lengthy extension before his option year kicks in. Waddle is the type of homegrown talent that teams typically try to keep in place as long as possible, even if it means slightly overpaying for the privilege.
Smith and Jeudy’s deals will likely shape the market for Waddle, who could command upwards of at least $20-25 million per season. That number will only continue to rise if he continues to be productive in McDaniel’s offense and Tagovailoa prioritizing getting him targets.
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