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    Jaylen Waddle Injury Update: Will Miami Dolphins’ WR2 Play vs. Kansas City Chiefs?

    Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle's status for the Kansas City Chiefs remains a question mark.

    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — There’s a chance that Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen does not play again this season.

    That’s not a reflection of some sort of setback or new injury. Rather, it’s just a reality based on the calendar.

    Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel told reporters here Thursday that Waddle (high ankle sprain) will be questionable for Saturday’s Wild Card Round playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

    The nature of Waddle’s injury, combined with a short week of prep, has McDaniel uncertain about whether the third-year wide receiver can go. He is optimistic, however.

    “You need to know that the player you’re taking into the game … has a reasonable chance to finish the game,” McDaniel said.

    The Latest on Miami Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle

    Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was far more definitive: He expects Waddle to play.

    “Huge playoff game, man,” Hill said. “You’re going against the Super Bowl champions. So who wouldn’t be ready for this game? That’s just my opinion. Like the type of competitor that he is, these are the type of games that Jaylen Waddle lives for.”

    Waddle did not practice at all in the lead-up to Week 17. Ahead of the Bills game, he was held out Wednesday and Thursday but did practice on a limited basis Friday.

    The Dolphins listed him as questionable for the Buffalo game but ultimately held him out due to concerns about how well he could protect himself from further injury.

    This Thursday is the only true practice ahead of the Chiefs game. Tuesday was an off day, and the Dolphins held a walkthrough Wednesday. The Dolphins estimated that Waddle would be limited in his participation, what they actually practiced those two days.

    Waddle has had a tough-luck season. He missed a game early in the year with a concussion and has received treatment for a half-dozen other ailments since the start of training camp.

    And yet, he’s still been one of the best WR2s in football.

    In just 14 regular-season games, Waddle finished 26th in the NFL in receiving yards (1,014) and 36th in catches (72). His 72.4 yards-per-game average ranked 15th.

    MORE: Miami Dolphins Depth Chart

    And he did that despite playing opposite Tyreek Hill — the NFL’s leader in receiving yards (1,799) who had the NFL’s third-most targets (171).

    The Dolphins’ offense nosedived in the last two weeks with Waddle out of the lineup, scoring 33 points with 650 total yards (including just 388 passing) and converting 10 of 25 third-down chances.

    With Waddle out of the lineup and Tyreek Hill banged up on the final play against the Bills, Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa’s options were very limited.

    In no world did McDaniel want the season coming down to Tua throwing to a double-covered Chase Claypool with the season on the line.

    But that’s what happened, and the result — a game-ending interception — was predictable.

    Want to predict the results of the 2023 NFL postseason with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? How about looking into in-depth breakdowns of team depth charts or the NFL playoff schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with all that and more!

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