Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle Drawing Interest; Miami Does Not Plan To Deal Waddle, RB De’Von Achane
At 1-5, the Dolphins look like obvious sellers as the November 4 trade deadline approaches, and sharks are smelling blood in the water. Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, several teams have called Miami to inquire about wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
However, the ‘Fins have told those clubs that they have no interest in moving Waddle. Although Miami will surely entertain offers on players on expiring deals, Waddle is under contract through 2028 by virtue of the three-year, $84.75MM extension he signed last year. Moving him would suggest the Dolphins are seeking to rebuild rather than reload for 2026, and it does not appear the team is ready to do that.
Waddle, who will turn 27 next month, was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2021 draft, and he lived up to his draft status right away, catching 104 balls for 1,015 yards and six TDs as a rookie. His yards-per-reception rate (9.8) was a bit underwhelming, but he more than made up for that with a sophomore campaign in which he caught 75 passes for 1,356 yards – good for an NFL-best 18.1 YPR rate – and eight scores.
He landed the above-referenced extension after his third professional season in 2023 (which was the first time he was eligible for a second pro contract). Despite missing three games that year, he still managed to top the 1,000-yard mark while maintaining a solid 14.1 YPR average, so the Dolphins seemingly had no issue authorizing a big-money deal.
His production took a downturn in 2024, as he tallied 58 receptions for 744 yards and just two TDs. In fairness, Tua Tagovailoa played just 11 games last year, but Miami’s QB1 has played more than 13 contests just once during Waddle’s tenure (2023).
Through the first six games of the current slate, Waddle has posted 29 catches for 390 yards and three TDs. It seems WR-needy teams have no qualms about his abilities, though the Dolphins are understandably taking the stance that the Alabama product is staying in South Beach.
They are saying the same thing about running back De’Von Achane. The 2023 third-rounder’s rookie pact runs through 2026, and his body of work includes a career average of 5.5 yards per carry. He is averaging nearly 100 scrimmage yards per game this year, to go along with six total scores.
As such, it is not surprising that rival teams would have interest, and the Seahawks have been named as a potential suitor. But as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald wrote even before Rapoport’s report, the Dolphins are not looking to move either Waddle or Achane.
Rapoport says it is more likely that the Dolphins look to trade an edge rusher like Bradley Chubb or Jaelan Phillips, who have already surfaced in trade rumors. While Chubb is technically under contract through 2027, his deal contains no more guaranteed money beyond this year, which will make a swap manageable from a dead money perspective. Phillips is currently on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal and is therefore an obvious trade candidate.
Matt Judon, whom Miami signed in late August to serve as a complementary pass rusher, has yet to tally a sack in six games. He is a healthy scratch for the Dolphins’ Week 7 contest against the Browns, and both Rapoport and Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports consider him trade fodder (with Jones saying a Day 3 pick swap is likely enough to get a deal done).
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/18/25
Here are today’s minor moves and practice squad elevations as we head to the seventh Sunday of the regular season:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: RB D’Ernest Johnson
Atlanta Falcons
- Activated from IR: DL Ta’Quon Graham
- Placed on IR: CB Clark Phillips
Chicago Bears
- Activated from IR: RB Travis Homer
- Elevated: DT Jonathan Ford, K Jake Moody
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from IR: G Jacob Monk
- Elevated: DE Arron Mosby, RB Pierre Strong
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: LB Branson Combs
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: WR Shedrick Jackson
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: RB Ronnie Rivers
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: LB Quinton Bell, CB Kendall Sheffield
New England Patriots
- Elevated: CB Miles Battle, RB Terrell Jennings
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: LB Nephi Sewell
New York Giants
- Activated from reserve/PUP list: OLB Victor Dimukeje
- Waived: DL Elijah Garcia
- Elevated: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey, LB Zaire Barnes
New York Jets
- Activated from IR: LB Ja’Markis Weston
- Signed from practice squad: WR Isaiah Williams
- Elevated: CB Korie Black, LB Jackson Sirmon
- Waived: LB Mark Robinson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: TE E.J. Jenkins
San Francisco 49ers
- Released (with injury settlement): WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: LB Curtis Jacobs, WR Mason Kinsey
As injured reserve activations start to dominate the headlines, a couple teams are making minor additions off their injured lists. In Homer, the Bears are getting a veteran special teamer and some running back depth. Monk adds depth to Green Bay’s offensive line. And Weston will do the same for a linebacking corps in New York that has seen rookie fifth-round pick Francisco Mauigoa starting in place of an injured Quincy Williams.
Ford in Chicago, Sewell in New Orleans, and Jacobs in Tennessee are all being called up as standard gameday practice squad elevations for the third time this year. In order to appear in any more games after this weekend, their respective teams will need to sign them to the 53-man roster.
Raiders Could Pursue Seahawks CB Tariq Woolen
Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen was mentioned as a trade candidate earlier this season, and Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline confirms that the 2022 fifth-round pick could be on his way out of Seattle.
Woolen is entering the final year of his rookie deal. He has been a full-time starter for the Seahawks since his dazzling debut season with a league-high six interceptions on his way to a Pro Bowl nod and a third-place finish in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. He was not as dominant in 2023, but still played very well, and his performance did not take a noticeable dip under new head coach Mike Macdonald in 2024.
However, Woolen has struggled in his five starts this season, allowing catches on 66.7% of his targets and 9.1 yards per target, both career-worsts. He was reportedly facing a role reduction heading into October, but it never materialized. Woolen played almost every snap for the Seahawks defense in their first five games until a concussion knocked him out of the game in Week 5. He remained sidelined in Week 6, when veteran Shaquill Griffin started in his place.
Based on reports about his availability, it seems like Seattle is not planning to re-sign Woolen and will instead see what they can get for him on the trade market. It would still be a somewhat surprising move for a 4-2 team with playoff aspirations to part ways with a starting-caliber cornerback. Even if Macdonald wants to de-emphasize the former UTSA standout, Woolen is still an excellent insurance policy in case of injuries, which have already been a constant problem in Seattle this year.
Still, if the Seahawks put Woolen on the trade block, the Raiders are expected to come calling, per Pauline. Las Vegas needs a cornerback, and head coach Pete Carroll is plenty familiar with Woolen after drafting and developing him in 2022 and 2023.
Pauline also mentions Seattle’s interest in Dolphins running back De’Von Achane, but such a player-for-player swap seems far-fetched. The Dolphins are expected to be sellers ahead of the deadline, but Achane is a foundational piece of Mike McDaniel‘s offense who is under contract through 2026. Reports have generally indicated that the Dolphins will be patient with McDaniel this season, but he is still on the hot seat. If he is coaching for his job, he will not want to move such an important offensive weapon, especially with Tyreek Hill already gone for the year.
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel: Ongoing Trade Rumors ‘Baseless’
In recent days, plenty of whispers have emerged about the Dolphins making one or more notable trades. Nothing has taken place yet on that front, and head coach Mike McDaniel spoke out against the ongoing speculation when addressing the media on Friday. 
“All [trade] rumors about Miami Dolphins players are baseless, currently,” McDaniel said (via NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe). “And that’s unfortunate. Personally, this time of year bothers me for the sake of individual players having where he’s playing questioned by rumors.”
Given Miami’s poor start to the campaign, speculation about major changes – including McDaniel himself being fired – has been prevalent. Even if he remains in place on the sidelines, calls about trades will no doubt continue up to the deadline. Edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb are known to be on the radar of interested teams, to little surprise. Phillips is a pending free agent and Chubb is essentially a rental given the absence of guarantees on his contract past 2025.
Yesterday, Phillips expressed his desire to remain in Miami past the deadline. There are also no players known to have issued a request to be moved, nor have the Dolphins openly stated a willingness to trade anyone by granting a player permission to seek out a new landing spot. With that in mind, McDaniel’s comments are certainly understandable.
Speculation regarding more than just the Phillips-Chubb tandem has swirled in recent days, but no tangible links have emerged between the Dolphins and a potential trade partner on that front. It will be in interesting to see if that remains the case prior to the November 4 deadline. Miami’s 1-5 record certainly points to a seller’s stance being adopted, though things could change if the team improves over the next few weeks.
More clarity will emerge around the league as the trade deadline draws nearer. In the case of the Dolphins, it appears as though nothing is imminent at this time, but rumors will no doubt continue to abound over the coming weeks.
Dolphins OLB Jaelan Phillips Wants To Stay In Miami
Despite frequently being mentioned as a trade target, Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips would prefer to stay in Miami this season.
“I love this team,” Phillips said this week (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). He added that he “ideally” would remain a Dolphin through the Week 9 trade deadline, but acknowledged that a potential move was “completely out of my control.”
Phillips is entering the final year of a rookie deal with virtually no talk of an extension. His expiring contract and the Dolphins’ 1-5 record has made him a frequent inclusion on lists of potential trade assets.
The 2021 first-round pick gave the team a strong return on their initial investment right away with 15.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss in his first two seasons. He seemed to be taking another step in 2023 with six sacks and 11 TFLs in his first eight games before his year came to a sudden end with a torn Achilles. Phillips returned the next season, but only had one sack and one TFL in four games before a partially torn ACL sidelined him for the majority of a second season in a row.
If Miami is not interested in extending Phillips, they should be open to moving him before the deadline. This season, he only has one sack and one tackle for loss, but three or more pressures in five of his six games, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That should be enough to keep teams in need of pass-rushing help interested in the coming weeks.
Other edge rusher trades this season offer a framework for a potential Phillips deal. Bryce Huff was traded from the Eagles to the 49ers conditional fifth-round pick that can be upgraded to a fourth-rounder, while Odafe Oweh was moved for safety Alohi Gilman and a Day 3 pick swap. Both players had better production in previous years but more recent downswings, like Phillips, suggesting that he could fetch a fourth- or fifth-round selection in a trade.
The Dolphins will have to weigh that against the potential for a 2027 compensatory pick if Phillips signs with a new team in free agency. His strong per-game stats in his career but lack of production in the last two years makes it hard to predict what he might fetch in free agency without some positive regression to the results of his early seasons.
Dolphins’ Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips Drawing Trade Interest
After falling to 1-5 with a loss to the Chargers in Week 6, the Dolphins are looking like clear-cut sellers leading up to the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Pass rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips are among Dolphins who could wind up on the move. Opposing teams are eyeing both players, Adam Schefter of ESPN told the Pat McAfee Show on Monday.
Chubb recorded 11 sacks in 2023, his second year in the double digits, but he suffered a torn ACL, meniscus, and patellar tendon in the penultimate game of the regular season. While Chubb’s devastating knee injury cost him all of last season, the two-time Pro Bowler has returned this year to offer solid production for the floundering Dolphins.
The 29-year-old Chubb has played in all six games this season while logging a 69.5% snap share on defense. He leads the Dolphins with four sacks, though his performance hasn’t impressed Pro Football Focus (subscription required). PFF ranks Chubb 95th among 110 qualifying EDGE players. Despite that negative evaluation, teams in need of pass-rushing help are monitoring Chubb.
Acquired from Denver in a November 2022 blockbuster, Chubb may leave Miami in another deadline deal in the coming weeks. Chubb signed a hefty five-year extension worth $110MM shortly after the Dolphins landed him, locking him up through 2027, but they reworked that pact last March. As a result, Chubb – who’s on a $12.33MM cap hit this season – isn’t owed any guaranteed money beyond 2025. That should make it easier for the Dolphins to move him.
A former Miami Hurricane, Phillips has spent his entire career with the Dolphins since they used the 18th overall pick on him in 2021. While Phillips has been effective, multiple serious injuries have prevented him from realizing his full potential. An Achilles tear limited Phillips to eight games in 2023, while a partially torn ACL held him to four appearances last year.
Phillips has returned this season to rack up a significant amount of playing time. He has a 69.5% snap share over six games, but the 26-year-old has only notched one sack. Pro Football Focus ranks him 52nd among 110 EDGE qualifiers.
As a soon-to-be free agent, Phillips would be a pure rental for a deadline buyer. He’s playing 2025 on a fifth-year option worth $13.3MM. Our Ely Allen identified Phillips as a viable trade candidate earlier this month, noting teams like the 49ers, Commanders, Chiefs, and Eagles could be among his suitors.
With the Dolphins likely to miss the playoffs for the third year in a row, general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel are facing uncertain futures. There’s some question as to whether they’ll even survive the season. Those two remain in place, though, and unless something drastic happens in the next three weeks, Grier will be the one steering the ship at the deadline. He’ll have to decide whether to move Chubb, Phillips, or both defenders in the coming weeks.
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel Considered Safe Amid Locker Room Turmoil
After the Dolphins’ 29-27 loss to the Chargers on Sunday, starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said that some of his teammates showed up late to recent players-only meetings.
“I think it starts with the leadership in helping articulate that for the guy, and what we’re expecting out of the guys,” he said (via NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe).
[RELATED: McDaniel, GM Chris Grier Not Viewed As Package Deal]
That revelation only furthered the perception of a leadership void in Miami with head coach Mike McDaniel firmly on the hot seat. He seems to be coaching for his job, but the team is not expected to make a change anytime soon, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Just over a year ago, the Dolphins were confident enough in McDaniel enough to sign him to a contract extension. Despite the trending downwards since then, they have not lost faith in the fourth-year head coach, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (h/t Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post).
Still, Tagovailoa’s public comments suggest that there’s some truth to the rumors of behind-the-scenes turmoil. McDaniel’s initial reaction on Sunday was that his quarterback was “sending a message,” but added that the players have delivered on everything he has asked of them. He also said that players-only meetings are “outside of what I demand.”
On Monday, McDaniel had a slightly different tune after hearing Tagovailoa’s full answer.
“After a loss as a franchise quarterback, that’s not the place [to say] that,” McDaniel said (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald), characterizing Tagovailoa’s reference to players-only meetings as “a misrepresentation of player orchestrated film sessions.”
Still, the mixed messages coming out of Miami paint the picture of an unsettled locker room in a season that is quickly slipping down the drain. The Dolphins are 1-5 and rank among the bottom 10 teams in total yards on offense and defense, but a softer schedule for the rest of the season may give them a chance to turn things around and save McDaniel’s job.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/11/25
Here are the minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations heading into the sixth Sunday of the NFL season:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed from practice squad: DT C.J. Okoye
- Elevated: QB Tyler Huntley, S Keondre Jackson
- Waived: S Reuben Lowery
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: CB Keion Crossen, G Brandon Walton
Cincinnati Bengals
- Elevated: G Jaxson Kirkland
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: CB Tre Avery
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed from practice squad: WR Jalen Cropper
- Elevated: WR Parris Campbell
- Placed on IR: RB Miles Sanders (story)
Detroit Lions
- Signed from practice squad: S Erick Hallett, DT Quinton Jefferson, CB Nick Whiteside
- Elevated: T Devin Cochran, CB Arthur Maulet
- Placed on IR: T Giovanni Manu (story)
- Waived: C Kingsley Eguakun, DT Chris Smith
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: RB Ameer Abdullah, CB Cameron Mitchell
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: CB A.J. Green, LB Elias Neal
Miami Dolphins
- Elevated: LB Quinton Bell, CB Isaiah Johnson
New England Patriots
- Elevated: RB Terrell Jennings, DE Truman Jones
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: LB Nephi Sewell
New York Jets
- Elevated: WR Brandon Smith, WR Isaiah Williams
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed from practice squad: WR Ke’Shawn Williams
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: CB Shaquill Griffin, S Jerrick Reed II
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: RB Owen Wright
Tennessee Titans
- Signed from practice squad: TE Thomas Odukoya
- Elevated: LB Curtis Jacobs, K Matthew Wright
- Waived: T John Ojukwu
Manu was ruled out for this week with a knee injury after making the first start of his career with Detroit. Unfortunately, he’ll miss the team’s next three games, as well, after being placed on injured reserve.
Wright will fill in as placekicker for the Titans in Week 6. Regular kicker Joey Slye has been ruled out with a calf injury after missing practice all week.
Avery in Cleveland and Walton in Carolina are both being called up as standard gameday practice squad elevations for the third time this year. If either of their respective teams want them to be active for another game, they will need to sign them to the 53-man roster.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/10/25
Today’s minor moves as we head into the sixth weekend of the regular season:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: P Pat O’Donnell
Carolina Panthers
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Dalevon Campbell
Miami Dolphins
- Released (with injury settlement): CB Cornell Armstrong
New England Patriots
- Placed on IR: RB Antonio Gibson (story)
Tennessee Titans
- Signed from practice squad: S Kendell Brooks
Cardinals punter Blake Gillikin appeared on the injury report with a back injury in Week 2 but has been otherwise healthy without missing any game time throughout the season so far. Gillikin showed back up on Arizona’s injury report yesterday with his back ailing him once again. He didn’t participate in practice at all today, and it doesn’t look good for his chances on Sunday that the team signed O’Donnell.
Following the Colts’ signing of Michael Badgley on Tuesday, O’Donnell becomes the second veteran specialist out of Miami (FL) to get signed out of free agency this week. O’Donnell punted for the Bears for eight years after Chicago drafted him in the sixth-round in 2014. He spent one year after Chicago with the Packers but remained a free agent throughout the 2023 season. Last year, he got a similar call from the 49ers, who held on to him for eight games after Mitch Wishnowsky was sidelined for the second half of the season with a back injury.
O’Donnell won out in a punting competition with fellow free agents Jack Browning and Matt Haack.
Mike McDaniel Still On Hot Seat, Isn’t Seen As Package Deal With Chris Grier
Mike McDaniel has been on the hot seat since the end of the 2024 campaign. While we recently heard that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross was willing to be patient with his head coach, it sounds like that patience may quickly be wearing thin. According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com, frustrations are mounting following another Dolphins loss, this time to the Panthers on Sunday. The head coach himself admitted after the game that his owner isn’t happy with the team’s performance, and it doesn’t sound like McDaniel has much longer to right the ship.
A source told Pauline that Ross will likely give it two or three more games before pulling the trigger on a firing. That same source indicated before the season that McDaniel may only have a couple of months to fight for his job. It’s uncertain what the coach could exactly do to keep his gig, but it’s assumed that he’ll have to secure at least a couple of wins in upcoming matchups with the Chargers, Browns, and Falcons.
There’s been plenty of speculation surrounding McDaniel’s job security since the end of the 2024 season. While the 42-year-old represents one of the franchise’s most successful hires, the situation also took a turn for the worse in 2024. While the team still managed to finish 8-9, there were plenty of reports about disfunction within the locker room, with sources criticizing the coach’s willingness to let the likes of Jalen Ramsey and Tyreek Hill “walk all over” him. As a result, McDaniel was deemed a candidate to be the first canned coach of the 2025 campaign.
If the Dolphins do eventually move off McDaniel, Pauline says it’s assumed the organization will pursue more of a “disciplinarian” type of head coach, with the source describing a veteran in the “Dan Quinn mold.” Interestingly, one name that’s popped up is former AFC East foe Rex Ryan. The former Jets head coach pushed for that same gig this offseason but wasn’t hired, and he’s remained in his current role as an ESPN analyst.
Ryan would certainly fit the team’s desire for a veteran head coach, although he wouldn’t necessarily fit their desire for a disciplinarian. According to sources, the team would still be receptive to a defensive-minded coach like Ryan, as long as he was paired with a talented offensive coordinator who could maximize Tua Tagovailoa‘s production.
General manager Chris Grier has also found himself on the hot seat, and while Ross gave the executive a vote of confidence following the 2024 season, the public declaration was a clear warning in and of itself. A source told Pauline that there’s no guarantee that McDaniel and Grier are a package deal. In other words, just because the head coach may be sent packing, it doesn’t necessarily mean the GM will be out of a job.