Dolphins coach had great reason for holding Jaylen Waddle out of practice

Sep 19, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) warms up prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is known for smooth rapport with the media, as well as his sense of humor. Both were on display when he spoke with reporters on Thursday.

Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was held out of practice on Wednesday. The former first-round pick has missed a significant amount of practice time in recent weeks due to an undisclosed leg injury.

On Thursday, McDaniel offered an entertaining reason for the wide receiver’s latest absence. McDaniel joked that he held out Waddle because he was afraid Waddle might go too hard in practice to impress DeVonta Smith.

McDaniel suggests he kept Waddle out of practice yesterday bc he was worried Waddle would have gone too hard, too soon, to impress his friend DeVonta Smith.

— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) August 25, 2022

Waddle and Smith were teammates at Alabama. They both were first-round draft picks in 2021, with Waddle going 6th and Smith 10th overall.

Smith plays for the Eagles, who on Wednesday held a joint practice with Miami ahead of Saturday’s preseason game between the teams.

Thursday’s joint practice between the teams was canceled due to a stomach bug that has infected numerous Dolphins players. Smith said Thursday he checked in with Waddle to make sure his friend was doing well.

#Eagles DeVonta Smith says he checked in with Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle earlier this morning after finding out about canceled joint practice, says Waddle is feeling good.

— Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) August 25, 2022

Both players had standout rookie seasons for their respective teams. Waddle had 104 catches for 1,015 yards and 6 touchdowns. Smith had 64 catches for 916 yards and 5 touchdowns.