The Dolphins receiver room gets help: Waddle, Eskridge return to practice

The Miami Dolphins receiver room just got a whole lot healthier.

Jaylen Waddle and Dee Eskridge returned to practice in a limited fashion on Thursday, a good sign for their prospective availability against the Cleveland Browns. Both receivers had dealt with knee injuries that caused them to miss some time.

Their return comes the week after the receivers didn’t have the best performance against the San Francisco 49ers. Thetrio of Malik Washington, River Cracraft and Tyreek Hill — the only three receivers that recorded a reception — logged seven catches for 53 yards. Hill, who has dealt with a torn ligament in his wrist all season, specifically under performed, dropping a would-be touchdown pass on the Dolphins’ second drive.

“I need those valuable reps with Tua [Tagovailoa],” the All-Pro receiver said Sunday. He finished finishing with three catches for 29 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. “Those vet rest days are starting to show. I completely blame myself for not getting my head around and not seeing the ball because, if I see a ball, we’re talking cross-court, 70-yard touchdown.”

Waddle missed the Week 16 game against the San Francisco 49ers after he sustained a knee injury in the second quarter of the Houston Texans game. Although coach Mike McDaniel was quick to share his pessimism about Waddle’s playing status last week, he hinted Monday that the 2021 first round pick could be seen soon.

“I’m expecting to get absolutely everything from Jaylen Waddle that he can do,” McDaniel said Monday. “I’ve learned over time to not forecast with him, just his pain tolerance, his competitiveness. I’ve been talking to our head athletic trainer at length about making sure that we protect him from himself because he’s one of those guys that will try to will himself to performance.”

Although Waddle didn’t speak to the media on Thursday, Tagovailoa praised how his former Alabama teammate approached practice.

“Waddle looked good,” Tagovailoa said. “He took some reps and then you just want to be cautious with the amount of reps that he’s taking as well. But for the most part, he looked great. His spirits are high and hopefully he’ll be ready to go Sunday.”

Eskridge suffered a knee injury against the New York Jets which forced him to miss back-to-back games against the Texans and Niners. Having only caught two balls for 16 yards, Eskridge didn’t really have much of an impact a pass-catcher, however, the fourth-year veteran had been the Dolphins’ primary return specialist for most of the season.

“My knee is doing great,” Eskridge said Thursday, calling himself “blessed.” “I was able to practice today and I felt good being able to be myself out there.”

Eskridge wouldn’t go into detail about the specifics of his injury but said that he intends to test the knee all week with the hope of a potential return on Sunday.

Added Eskridge: “Just continue to practice just continue to prepare for the game like I’m playing 100 snaps and just listen to my body, listen to the training staff, listen to my coaches and prepare for the game.”

After Waddle started his career with three straight 1000-yard seasons, it’s unlikely that he cracks that mark in 2024, especially after missing a game. Still, he remains one of the Dolphins’ top receiving threats alongside Hill, tight end Jonnu Smith and tailback De’Von Achane. The fourth-year player has caught 54 balls for 700 yards receiving and two touchdowns. Although his touchdown and catch numbers both rank fourth on the team, his receiving yardage slots in as third behind Hill and Smith while he leads the Dolphins in yards per reception.