The Miami Dolphins lost 45–21 to the Cincinnati Bengals, dropping to 6–9 and guaranteeing their second consecutive losing season. Miami had already been eliminated from playoff contention in last week’s loss against the Steelers on Monday Night Football. The Dolphins had not had consecutive losing seasons since 2019, when the team went 5-11 and had their third consecutive season under .500.
Following their second consecutive losing season in 2018, the Dolphins cleaned house. The team fired head coach Adam Gase and executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum. This year, Miami has already fired general manager Chris Grier. The Dolphins’ decision on Mike McDaniel remains to be seen.
Jaylen Waddle’s Feat
Despite the loss to the Bengals, there’s some positive news for the Dolphins. Miami wide receiver Jaylen Waddle surpassed 5,000 career yards in the game against the Bengals. The 2021 sixth overall selection became the sixth Dolphin to reach that mark. The last Dolphins wide receiver to reach 5,000 yards with the team was Chris Chambers.
Waddle’s feat with the team nearly didn’t occur as the Dolphins considered trading him at this year’s trade deadline. Reportedly, the high bidder on Jaylen Waddle was division rival Buffalo as they offered a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick. Miami preferred receiving the Bills’ 2026 first-round pick instead of 2027, and they failed to reach an agreement.
The Dolphins wide receiver is currently sixth all-time in receiving yards for the team. Following the Bengals game, Waddle sits at 5,039 receiving yards. He can move up to fifth in the Dolphins leaderboard with 36 receiving yards against the Buccaneers in Miami’s upcoming contest. Additionally for Waddle, the all-time Dolphins receiving record is achievable. Waddle has three years remaining on his deal with the Dolphins. The Dolphins wide receiver would need to average 1,276 receiving yards in those seasons to surpass Mark Duper, who currently sits atop Dolphins receivers. Waddle’s career high for receiving yards in a season is 1,356, which he did in 2022.
Jaylen Waddle’s 2025
Entering Dolphins’ record books is nothing new for Waddle. In his rookie year, Waddle broke the NFL’s receptions record for a rookie. The following season, the Dolphins traded for superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill, making Waddle the team’s secondary receiving option. Despite seeing less targets, Waddle proved to be more effective and had the team’s third best receiving season with his aforementioned 1,356 yards.
Earlier this year, Tyreek Hill went down with a dislocated knee. The injury meant Waddle was thrust into the team’s number one receiving role. Waddle originally thrived in his newfound role as he had over 80 receiving yards in five out of the first six games Hill missed. That success has dwindled as the season has gone along, as Waddle has not reached 80 receiving yards in five consecutive games as Miami has taken a run-first approach. Additionally, Waddle is playing with rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers for the first time, as Tua Tagovailoa was benched following the team’s loss against the Steelers.
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