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Jaylen Waddle shared his feelings on Tua
The Miami Dolphins are expected to have a new quarterback in the 2026 season. Whether former quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is released or traded remains to be seen, but the expectation is he will no longer be a member of the Dolphins despite his large contract.
Things went downhill for Tagovailoa in Miami after his 2023 Pro Bowl season. Injuries resulted in him missing six games for the Dolphins in 2024, including the final games of the season as the Dolphins tried to make a late playoff push. In 2025, his performance waned as it appeared his previous hip injury took a toll on his physical abilities.
The wide receiver who has spent the most time with Tagovailoa has been Jaylen Waddle. The pair were together at Alabama, and then reunited once Waddle was drafted in the first round by the Miami Dolphins in 2021. After struggling with no explosive receivers during the 2020 season, Miami drafted Waddle in order to facilitate the offense for Tagovailoa. Now, the relationship on the field is seemingly over and Waddle has shared his thoughts on the quarterback.
Jaylen Waddle Comments on Tua Tagovailoa
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle went on The Set with Terron Armstead, where he spoke about quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Regarding Tagovailoa likely being moved, he said, “With everything that’s going on with the situation, if he needs someone to talk to, or advice, or just someone to vent to, he always knows I’m a call away, my line is always open.”
The pair played together with the Dolphins from the 2021 season to the 2025 season. Additionally, when Armstead asked Waddle to build a 7-on-7 squad with players he had played with at both the college and professional level, Waddle chose Tagovailoa as his starting quarterback. Other options could have been Jalen Hurts, Mac Jones, Quinn Ewers or Teddy Bridgewater.
Waddle spent most of his time with Tagovailoa as the team’s No. 2 wide receiver, as the recently released Tyreek Hill was the team’s No. 1. When Hill went down with an injury in 2025, Waddle played a larger role, as he averaged 65.3 yards per game with Tagovailoa as his quarterback. Over a 17-game pace, that would have resulted in Waddle totaling 1,110 receiving yards.
Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle Trade Rumors
While the headlines currently revolve around the uncertainty regarding Tagovailoa, Waddle is also familiar with having his name in trade discussions. With the team at 2-7 at the NFL trade deadline, Waddle became a popular trade candidate around the league, which even resulted in the Buffalo Bills offering a first-round pick for the Miami Dolphins wide receiver.
Regarding the team’s cuts and trade rumors, Waddle said, “People don’t realize how ruthless this business is… you could be here one day, and another place the next day.” Waddle is currently under contract with the Dolphins through the 2028 season as he signed a three-year extension prior to the 2024 season. He is less than 50 receiving yards away from entering the Dolphins’ top five in career receiving yards.
Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer
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