MIAMI GARDENS — When the Miami Dolphins selected Jaylen Waddle as the No. 6 pick of the 2021 draft, it was for him to be a longtime No. 1 wide receiver for the franchise.

His rookie season immediately offered the vision he was on that trajectory, but the acquisition of Tyreek Hill the ensuing offseason, had Waddle taking a backseat to Hill the past three seasons.

After Hill’s gruesome knee injury suffered in last Monday night’s win over the New York Jets for the Dolphins (1-3), beginning with Sunday’s 1 p.m. kickoff with the Carolina Panthers (1-3) at Bank of America Stadium, Waddle will be counted on as a true No. 1 receiver for the first time since.

“I think we’ve looked at him as a Wide Receiver 1,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. “I think that it’s not necessarily a cha

See Full Page