Bills' AFC East rival gives massive contract to dynamic WR

The Miami Dolphins have given a massive extension to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, keeping him around the AFC East for the foreseeable future.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) enter the field during pregame ceremonies during an NFL game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Nov. 19, 2023. | Jim Rassol / USA TODAY NETWORK

Get used to seeing the ‘penguin dance,’ Bills Mafia, as it’s sticking around for the foreseeable future.

The Miami Dolphins signed dynamic wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to a three-year, $84.75 million extension on Thursday morning, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The contract includes $76 million in guaranteed money and makes the 25-year-old one of the league’s highest-paid wide receivers.

This just in: Miami and WR Jaylen Waddle reached agreement today on a three-year, $84.75 million contract extension that includes $76 million guaranteed, per sources. The deal makes Waddle one of the league’s top five highest-paid receivers.

WME Football negotiated and confirmed… pic.twitter.com/ePTd2j0Z50

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 30, 2024

Waddle has been incredibly productive over his three professional seasons, using his combination of game-breaking speed and underrated route-running ability to tally 251 receptions for 3,385 yards and 18 touchdowns. He forms a dynamic duo with fellow speedster Tyreek Hill in Miami, with the pair being widely viewed as one of, if not the, strongest top receiver combination in the NFL.

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The new deal will see Waddle earn an average of $28.25 million per season. Miami now employs two of the top-five highest-paid wideouts in the NFL, with Hill coming in at No. 3 on the list of highest-paid receivers at $30 million annually. Waddle’s contract includes more guaranteed money than that of Hill, as the 30-year-old’s contract (signed in 2022) includes $72.2 million in guarantees. The deal leaves the already cash-strapped Dolphins in a more financially precarious situation as they negotiate with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is entering the fifth-year option—and final—year of his rookie contract.

Highest paid WRs in average annual value:

1) AJ Brown: $32M
2) Amon-Ra St. Brown: $30.02M
3) Tyreek Hill: $30M
4) Jaylen Waddle: $28.25M
5) Davante Adams: $28M https://t.co/Oy1p3h5eoY

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 30, 2024

Waddle’s extension means that Buffalo will have to continue to deal with his presence over the next several seasons. The Bills have largely been able to contain the pass-catcher throughout their twice-yearly AFC East matchups with Miami, limiting him to 21 catches for 339 yards and one touchdown in five regular season games (he missed the Dolphins’ Week 18 matchup with Buffalo in the 2023 NFL season with an ankle injury). He caught three passes for 44 yards in Miami's 2022 Wild-Card round loss to the Bills.