The Dolphins appear destined to be sellers at the 2025 NFL trade deadline next week after their 2–6 start to the season. Despite winning comfortably against the Falcons in Week 8, Miami’s playoff chances remain slim, and it will likely be fielding plenty of calls from teams looking to fortify their rosters ahead of the second half of the season.
One name that’s likely to come up in trade talks is wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. The former first-round pick signed a three-year contract extension in May of 2024, one that ties him to the team through the 2028 season. The deal is worth a total of $84.75 million, and includes $36 million in fully guaranteed money.
The Dolphins will feel little pressure to offload Waddle, but if they receive a substantial trade offer, it’s possible they’d be willing to move him ahead of next week’s trade deadline.
Let’s take a look at three teams that would make sense as potential trade partners for the Dolphins in a Jaylen Waddle deal.
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Rookie Jaxson Dart has played well since taking over as the Giants’ starting quarterback, but he doesn’t have the strongest array of weapons to target through the air. With Malik Nabers sidelined for the remainder of the season, Dart has leaned on Wan’Dale Robinson and tight end Theo Johnson.
Adding a player like Waddle to the mix would be massively beneficial for Dart as he continues to get more comfortable playing in the NFL. Waddle has recorded 1,000-plus receiving yards in three of his first four seasons and is tracking to reach that mark again in 2025. He’s one of the best deep-ball threats in the league, and having him running routes for Big Blue would help Dart’s confidence when taking shots down the field.
New York isn’t contending, so it’s a bit unlikely they’d be willing to offload any valuable draft assets to land Waddle. Still, he’d be an excellent fit for the Giants with Nabers sidelined. And even when the second-year star returns, the two would be a dynamic duo of receivers for Dart to target for the foreseeable future.
The Steelers are in a starkly different position than the Giants. There are more questions about their long-term quarterback plans, but in the immediate future, they have Aaron Rodgers playing at a higher level than he has in recent years. At 4–3, Pittsburgh remains atop the AFC North and in contention for the playoffs, but they’re lacking depth at wide receiver beyond DK Metcalf.
This season, only two Steelers wide receivers have more than 14 catches: Metcalf with 27 and Calvin Austin III with 14. Otherwise, Rodgers has been frequently throwing to his tight ends, Jonnu Smith and Pat Freiermuth, as well as his running backs, Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell.
Having another top-tier receiver in the mix would take less pressure off Metcalf and give Rodgers an elite deep-ball threat, which could help Pittsburgh’s offense as a whole.
The Patriots are ahead of schedule in terms of being competitive this season, sitting atop the AFC East at 6–2. Drake Maye is emerging as a potential MVP candidate in his second season, and New England could showcase its belief in their new franchise quarterback by going out and trading for Waddle.
Waddle is a proven talent, and he could be a versatile target that develops a strong rapport with Maye for years to come. With Stefon Diggs locked in for a couple more years, he and Waddle would be one of the best one-two punches at the position across the entire NFL, all while Maye remains on his rookie contract.
Whether Miami would truly consider moving Waddle to a division rival remains to be seen. But with the Patriots looking like legitimate contenders, he’d be a valuable addition in New England.
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