Jaylen Waddle had a one-on-one interview session with Forbes shortly after signing an extension with the Miami Dolphins and expressed his opinion on the contract as well as his preparation for the fourth NFL season.
The wide receiver has freshly signed a 3-year contract extension that’s worth around $85 million, which includes a guaranteed $75 million. This adds him to the list of the top six of the highest-paid players in the NFL at his position.
Waddle has been signed under contract from 2025 to the 2028 season.
The receiver has proven himself to be among the most productive NFL receivers in his first three seasons. He has posted over 1,000 yards in each one of his three years, which makes him the first one in Miami Dolphins history to do this. Waddle has also set the record for the franchise rookie by catching 104 passes for 1,015 yards during his debut season.
Waddle Says, “We Got a Solid Deal Done”
Jaylen Waddle said that he knew he had some years left on his deal and he wasn’t expecting an extension of the deal in his fourth year. Still, he claimed that it made sense for both sides and the deal being solidified again makes both of them happy.
During the same interview, Waddle revealed that he was getting some bed rest when he received the news of his contract agreement near the end of May.
He said, “I’m not gonna lie. I slept in and my phone was killing, like killing, I thought it was supposed to get finalized on Friday. It happened on Thursday. I woke up with 100 missed calls and I was knocked out getting some good Z’s. My phone was just blowing up. Everyone calling and texting me and all this crazy stuff.”
Miami Dolphins Performance in NFL
Jaylen Waddle, along with Tyreek Hill, is arguably one of the best NFL receiving duo. Both Hill and Waddle have produced more than 1,000 receiving yards in the past two seasons, which has helped take the Dolphins to be the most productive NFL offense.
Miami Dolphins have led NFL in the total yards and have ranked second, by scoring 29.2 points. Through the NFL season’s first five weeks, the Dolphins operated at a record pace, posting 2,568 yards.
They have also averaged 36.2 points each game, while also scoring 70 points in a single game against the Denver Broncos. However, the offense has stagnated by the end of the NFL season, averaging 18.5 points in their last five games, with only seven points in a loss in a match with the Kansas City Chiefs.
In the interview, Waddle also talked about how they are communicating to improve the team’s consistency moving forward.
The Future Seems Bright for the Miami Dolphins
While the Dolphins have a winning record for the last four seasons, they still haven’t won a playoff game. They lost each of the playoff games for the past two seasons. The Dolphins lost in the 2022 season to the Buffalo Bills and haven’t got a single win in playoff game since the NFL 2000 season, which makes this the longest ongoing playoff win drought season in the NFL.
Waddle knows this and said he hopes to win a playoff game, win the division, and win key games in the season.
This might be possible now since Odell Beckham will also be added to the offensive cast, the same as the last season. The Super Bowl champion has signed a deal for one year with the Miami Dolphins, and that should add more firepower to an offensive unit which already features pros like Raheem Mostert, Tagovailoa, and Hill.
Waddle shares this sentiment and said that he thinks Odell’s addition is going to be great for the team. He said that he watched Odell and Tyreek play when he was young and it’s crazy to him that now he gets to play with them.
Waddle said that he expects Odell to bring some “swag” to the team and make a lot of plays for them. Although Waddle hasn’t had a chance to practice with Odell, he mentioned having a conversation with him and told what Odell said to him after signing up with the Miami Dolphins.
He said, “He was just telling me how much he’s watched my game and how he’s willing to help me and elevate my game to a whole another level.”
The future of the Miami Dolphins is more exciting than ever and we are hyped to see them play in the next NFL season, which is going to conclude on April 26, 2025.
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You can also check out Jaylen Waddle’s full interview with Forbes here.
