Jaylen Waddle Injury: Dolphins WR in Danger of Missing Week 18 Finale vs. Bills?

The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins will play in Week 18, potentially for an AFC East title. Will star receiver Jaylen Waddle be available for the contest?

The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins are on a collision course for a Week 18 contest for all the marbles. With a Bills win over the New England Patriots and a Dolphins loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Miami would be the stage for an AFC East title fight.

Buffalo (9-6) won’t count its eggs until they hatch—one of its losses came at the hands of the Patriots—but everything's coming up blue and red right now. The Bills escaped Week 16 with a win over the Los Angeles Chargers and have now won three in a row, two of which came against Super Bowl hopefuls.

With the impending return of defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, Buffalo is getting healthy at the right time. Miami (11-4) can’t say the same.

Dec 17, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) runs with the football past New York Jets cornerback D.J. Reed (4) during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium / Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Shortly after catching a 50-yard pass on Christmas Eve, star receiver Jaylen Waddle went down with what was thought to be a shin injury. As it turns out, it was a high ankle sprain for the speedster.

“Those can be tricky,” said Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.

It isn’t yet clear if Waddle will be ready for Week 18’s action in South Florida, much less Sunday in Baltimore. McDaniel, however, used Waddle’s recent injury history as a source of optimism.

“He’s a really, really tough player,” McDaniel said. “He’s battled through several things this year which has made him even more eager just as a playmaker, to kind of make up for that with his play.”

Waddle doesn’t necessarily carry the “injury-prone” label like a scarlet letter, but he has gotten banged up frequently this season. He’s missed just one game—the Dolphins’ 70-20 win over the Denver Broncos—but has made a second home in the blue medical tent.

His play this season—72 receptions for 1,014 yards and four scores—is a testament to that toughness.

“So yeah, it does give me optimism because of the individual and because of what he’s gone through for sure,” McDaniel said. “He’s had several things that have been real that other players might take him longer, especially at that position, might take him longer to come back from. So I do have a lot of confidence in him.”

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Part of what makes high ankle sprains treacherous is the difference between being able to play on it and truly being 100 percent. One can return from the ailment quickly (Waddle could suit up on Sunday), but regaining that explosiveness could lag.

When one is as dynamic as Waddle, second fiddle on the league’s fastest passing offense, that explosiveness is key. The real test for the Dolphins receiver won’t be whether he’s in the lineup for Week 18’s contest, but if he’s his true, incredibly dangerous self.