The Miami Dolphins are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 8-9 2024 season that found them runner-ups in the AFC East. Yes, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa only played in 11 games last year, but they were still only 6-5 in those starts.
Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle – who could use a bounce-back year in his own right – says Tua looks great at OTAs and seems eager to get the offense going.
“He’s just excited to play, man,” Waddle told reporters on Tuesday. “I think all of us are. He looks confident, coming out with a different swag. He’s got dye in his hair and some other stuff.
“He looks like he’s just eager to play, man.”
Overall, the Dolphins had the 18th ranked offense overall in the NFL in 2024. While that isn’t bottom-of-the-barrel production, it’s also not good enough for a team with weapons like Tagovailoa, Waddle and Tyreek Hill (and for now Jonnu Smith). Outside of injuries, the Dolphins should consistently have a top-10 offense.
Tua was actually quite efficient in 2024
Tagovailoa missed six games last season, and it’s no secret that the key to the Dolphins success is his health. It always has been. But, it’s not just any nagging ailments, his problem is the brain injuries. He’s suffered three diagnosed concussions in the last two years, which is quite alarming. That’s not just worrisome from a football point of view, but it’s a concern about his long-term health. His next concussion could be his last.
While his ability to stay healthy and available to the Dolphins is always on everyone’s mind, he’s actually been quite good when he plays. In 2024, he threw for 2,867 yards, 19 touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
His 72.9% completion percentage is extremely high and he led the NFL in that category. Detroit Lions‘ quarterback Jared Goff had a tremendous year and he was ranked second at 72.4%. Considering the season that Goff had in 2024, that’s pretty good company.
Waddle needs to step it up too
Waddle has every reason to hope that Tagovailoa bounces back, stays healthy and has a great year. His production is dependent on it.
And in 2024, Waddle’s production didn’t live up to his hefty contract. Last offseason, Waddle signed a three-year, $84.75 million contract extension that lasts through 2028. His receiving numbers, however, left a lot to be desired.
A first-round pick in 2021, Waddle hauled in 104 passes for 1,015 yards and six touchdowns in his rookie campaign. That’s fantastic, that’s why they drafted him sixth-overall that year. And then 2022 was his best year, when he caught 75 passes (29 fewer than his rookie year) for 1,356 yards and eight touchdowns. He led the league in yards-per-catch that season with 18.1 YPC.
But, his production has dropped in each of the following seasons, which is not a good sign. In 2023, Tagovailoa started all 17 games (his only year where he played in every game), but Waddle had just 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. 2024 was even worse. Waddle caught 58 passes for 744 yards and a pair of TDs. That’s not the end of the world, but it’s a disturbing trend for someone with his pay stub.
The bottom line is that Tagovailoa needs to stay healthy and he has to get Waddle and Hill going if the Dolphins are going to right their ship and contend for the division title in 2025.
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