The Miami Dolphins already appear to be heading toward a disappointing season after an embarrassing Week 1 loss. However, the writing may have been on the wall following a chaotic offseason, during which Mike McDaniel entered on the hot seat and somehow oversaw a roster that looks worse than before.
“All of those now put a tremendous amount of pressure on McDaniel, who is coming off his first under .500 season with the Dolphins, who were also on the outside looking in on the playoffs. We already listed McDaniel as a head coach with one of the hottest seats in the NFL entering 2025, and the road to save his job just got even more difficult,” CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan wrote.
In the offseason, the Dolphins made headlines by trading Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers and acquiring Darren Waller, who had been in retirement. Waller agreed to return only if he could play for Miami.
Unfortunately, Waller suffered a hip injury prior to the season opener and was ruled out against the Indianapolis Colts.
“Miami Dolphins tight end Darren Waller is doubtful for the team’s season opener after sustaining an injury earlier this week, coach Mike McDaniel said Friday,” ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques wrote.
On Wednesday, McDaniel gave an update that only deepened the mystery around Waller’s future.
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“I expect to not know what to expect until later on this week … We may get to a point where we realize the risk is too great for the rest of the season and we’ll have to do what’s best for the team,” McDaniel said.
At this point, it’s unclear how serious the injury is. But based on McDaniel’s tone, it’s possible Waller may never suit up for Miami. The possibility of a season-ending—or even career-ending—injury is very real.
For now, uncertainty looms large. Whether Waller’s return was short-lived or just delayed remains to be seen.
