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There are a lot of questions to answer for the 1-6 Miami Dolphins, but one of them was why Jaylen Waddle, the Dolphins’ top receiver without Tyreek Hill on the field for the rest of the season, didn’t see much action in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has an answer, and it’s likely Dolphins fans don’t want to hear it.
“I think part of it is being able to see the guys, with their guys up front as well and our guys,” Tagovailoa told reporters Tuesday. “I’m not the biggest guy on the back end either. So being able to see and sometimes when that happens you don’t want to just throw it blindly, and you have to progress. So, I think that has merit in why that happened for Waddle.”
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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) signals to his team at the line of scrimmage against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at Huntington Bank Field on October 19, 2025. (Scott Galvin/Imagn Images)
It’s no secret that Tagovailoa, at 6-foot-1, is not the tallest quarterback in the NFL. But it’s another thing to admit that he’s not able to see his receivers during games.
That may be true, but it’s obvious that sight of your offensive weapons is key for any quarterback. Nonetheless, Tagovailoa targeted Waddle, who is 5-foot-10, only four times in the 31-6. beating on the road. He only caught one pass for 15 yards.
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Waddle hasn’t had this many targets or catches in a single game since Week 14 against the Houston Texans last season. In that game, Waddle did not make a single catch and was targeted only twice, although he suffered a knee injury.
But Tagovailoa struggled all day for the Dolphins, as the Browns defense forced three interceptions and just 12 completions for 100 yards in the loss.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) looks on during the game against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on September 14, 2025. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has already had Tagovailoa working with his teammates like a well-oiled machine, but this season has proven difficult to get the same timing every week.
McDaniel noted Tuesday that he and Tagovailoa had an hour-and-a-half meeting the day before, which he called “awesome.”
“I think there’s no uncertainty with Tua in terms of my belief and my trust in him,” McDaniel told reporters. “We’re both very eager to do better at our jobs, and we’re both very committed and trusting each other to deliver what’s needed for the team to do better.”
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) looks to pass against the Buffalo Bills in the first half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York on September 18, 2025. (Mark Konezny/Imagn Images)
The 27-year-old quarterback leads the NFL in interceptions this season with 10 passes on the year, compared to 11 touchdown passes. He also threw for 1,313 yards with a 67.8% completion rate.
