The Dolphins' lightning-quick offense was already struggling in the first half against the Eagles when it lost one of its best playmakers to an injury.
That would be Jaylen Waddle. The third-year wide-out suffered a back injury at some point during the early stages of the game.
While Waddle tried to tough out the injury, he ultimately wasn't able to do so. He headed to the locker room early, walking very gingerly, and was deemed questionable to return by the Dolphins.
Injury Update | Jaylen Waddle has a back injury and is questionable to return.
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) October 23, 2023
According to the broadcast, Waddle was "on all fours" on the sideline at times and was wearing an electric heating pad to try to loosen up the injury. It wasn't enough to keep him on the field, however, and he was reportedly "yelling in pain" on the sidelines.
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Waddle had never dealt with a notable back injury during his career, but they can tend to linger and have a high chance of recurrence.
Even so, Waddle was able to return to the field in the third quarter, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
Waddle back in the game for the #Dolphins.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 23, 2023
Before exiting, Waddle caught two passes for 24 yards. Now, the Dolphins will have to look down their depth chart to help replace the speedster.
While Waddle was out, Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Chase Claypool were tasked with replacing him. Wilson seemed to absorb most of the work on the outside with Berrios remaining primarily as a slot option.
Claypool may play in certain packages, but he has been with the Dolphins for just a couple of weeks. As such, he it made sense that he wouldn't play a full complement of snaps.
In reality, Tyreek Hill saw the biggest increase in work while Waddle was out. The veteran deep threat recorded eight catches for 65 yards and a touchdown in the first half while being targeted on nine of Tua Tagovailoa's 16 passes. He continued to see a lion's share of the targets until Waddle returned in the third quarter.
