As the Miami Dolphins negotiate a new contract with their franchise quarterback this offseason, they have successfully secured a deal with their rising young wide receiver. On Thursday, sources revealed that the Dolphins and standout receiver Jaylen Waddle agreed to a three-year contract extension. The deal is worth $84.75 million, with $76 million guaranteed, according to ESPN and NFL Network. Waddle, who was already under contract through 2025, is now tied to the Dolphins through 2028.
Dolphins general manager Chris Grier praised Waddle earlier this year at the NFL scouting combine, emphasizing Waddle’s importance to the team’s present and future. “We want him here for a long time, and we think he’s a big part of our now and our future here,” Grier said. “He’s a great person on and off the field, and we still think as good as he is, he still has runway to keep getting better.”
The extension gives Waddle an average annual salary of $28.25 million, placing him fourth among NFL receivers behind teammate Tyreek Hill ($30 million), the Detroit Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown ($30.002 million), and Philadelphia Eagles’ A.J. Brown ($32 million). His guaranteed money ranks third in the league after Brown and St. Brown.
Waddle, a first-round draft pick in 2021, secured his contract extension before quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract after being drafted in 2020. Earlier this offseason, Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith, another 2021 first-rounder, signed a three-year extension with Philadelphia, highlighting Waddle’s long-term status in Miami. Smith’s deal was worth $75 million with nearly $70 million guaranteed, making Waddle’s contract more lucrative. Waddle’s extension also surpasses the average salary of Las Vegas Raiders star wideout Davante Adams, although Adams has the highest total contract value at $140 million.
As the salary cap continues to rise, elite young receivers like Waddle are commanding higher salaries. Other top receivers, including the Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson, Dallas Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb, and Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase, are expected to earn similar or greater amounts. In his first three NFL seasons, Waddle has recorded 251 receptions for 3,385 yards and 18 touchdowns. Although he has not yet made a Pro Bowl, he achieved his third consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season in 2023, becoming the first Dolphins player to do so. He also holds the franchise record for the most receiving yards in the first three years of a career and set Miami’s rookie records for receptions (104) and receiving yards (1,015) in 2021.
With the Dolphins taking a break on Thursday before concluding organized team activities with a closed practice on Friday, players reacted to the news on social media. Hill posted on X: “Couldn’t be more happier.” Star cornerback Jalen Ramsey wrote: “YEAHHHHH DUB! Get that munyun! BIG YEAR loading!”
Waddle has not been seen with the team during the two OTA sessions open to the media. With his contract extension finalized, attention now turns to Tagovailoa’s deal, which has been a priority since the start of the offseason. The Dolphins are keen to retain their quarterback long-term, with an extension expected to be around $50 million per year. Alongside Tagovailoa, safety Jevon Holland is also eligible for an extension this offseason, although he mentioned last week that he does not expect a deal before the quarterback’s.
Earlier this offseason, the Dolphins exercised the fifth-year option on outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips, another first-round pick from 2021, who is currently rehabbing a torn Achilles. The Dolphins will hold a three-day mandatory minicamp next week from Tuesday to Thursday before taking a break until training camp starts in late July.
