Dolphins McDaniel makes joke regarding Jaylen Waddle's missed practice

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle catches a pass during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex. Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel makes joke regarding Jaylen Waddle's most recent missed practice

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 8/25/22

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is known for his smooth rapport with the media and 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 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 feared 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 going 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.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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