Injuries at Wide Receiver Could Lead to Chosen's Elevation

Jaylen Waddle's status for Sunday's AFC East showdown with the Buffalo Bills is uncertain because the Miami Dolphins receiver remains in the concussion protocol, and the shoulder injury River Cracraft suffered could sideline him for at least a few weeks.

Those two injuries could lead to the elevation of Robbie Chosen, an eight-year veteran who began the 2023 season on the Dolphins' practice squad, and has passed on other opportunities to play elsewhere so the South Florida native could fulfill a childhood dream of playing for the Dolphins.

Chosen was elevated up to the game -day roster for Miami's 70-20 win historic over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, and not only did he replace Waddle in Miami's base offensive package, which features two receivers, a tailback, tight end and fullback, the South Plantation High product also scored a 68-yard touchdown on a fourth-quarter pass from Mike White, beating Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Surtain Jr. on a double-move before catching a deep pass and outsprinting Surtain to the end zone.

Chosen played most snaps at receiver

"It was a dream come true. Dream became reality," said Chosen, who played 42 snaps Sunday, which was more than any other wide receiver on the team. "All thanks to God for blessing me to be in this position, and be part of this team. Being here means the world to me. It was definitely a dream to score that touchdown, especially in an impactful game, and to be contributing towards winning.

"That's what I've been waiting for, and working for my whole career. That's why I was so eager to come be a Dolphin," Chosen said. "I'm just thankful to be here."

Whether the Dolphins need him Sunday likely comes down to Waddle's status, and if the third-year receiver, who suffered the concussion in Miami's week 2 win over the New England Patriots, can be cleared for Sunday's 1 p.m. kickoff against the Bills.

Waddle reached stage four of the NFL's six-stage concussion protocol when he participated in last Friday's practice. But his involvement and exertion level wasn't high. Waddle will need to ramp it up this week when practices start Wednesday, and if he's not experiencing concussion symptoms, he'll likely be cleared to play by Saturday's walk-through.

Three receivers battling for roles

Even if Waddle doesn't play, there's no guarantee Chosen will have earned a spot on the game-day roster. He'll need to outperform Cedrick Wilson Jr., who played 34 snaps against the Broncos, and Erik Ezukanma, a 2022 fourth-round pick who was inactive last week, in practice to carve out a role in Miami's game plan.

One thing Chosen has on his side are his experience level. He's started 86 games, which is more than any other Dolphins receiver except for Tyreek Hill. Another is his speed, which is second only to Hill and Waddle in his unit.

Miami uses the threat of the deep ball to keep defenses honest, preventing them from putting a safety in the box. That's likely why it was Chosen who replaced Waddle for most of the base offensive snaps against Denver when every receiver was healthy.

It's that speed that has enabled this former undrafted rookie from Temple to earn a starting spot with the New York Jets as a rookie in 2016, and has helped him accumulate 5,024 yards and score 30 touchdowns on 376 receptions.

"Chosen has remained steadfast in the fact that he wants to be on this team," head coach Mike McDaniel said. "I don’t want to speak for him, but the amount of respect that he commands by selflessly just going about his business and trying to contribute. He just wants to be a part of his hometown team, and I think he showed why [Sunday]."