Training camp just kicked off and as camp gets underway, so do prognostications regarding player stats and team records. The Miami Dolphins boast one of the most talented rosters in the NFL and have received praise from multiple outlets regarding the talent on the team from top to bottom. At the peak of that talent sit their stars at wide receiver and heading into year three, the duo can leave a long lasting mark on the league.
Dolphins duo Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle Have a Shot at Historic 2024 Season
Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle Give Dolphins NFL’s Most Dangerous WR Duo
Since joining the Dolphins in 2022, Tyreek Hill has put on a clinic at the receiver position, setting career highs in both receptions and yards in each of his first two years in Miami. He also leads the entire NFL in receiving yards over that span where he’s compiled 3,509 yards through the air, 401 more than the next closest receiver, Cowboys CeeDee Lamb. He’s averaged over 100 yards per game each season with Miami and represents one-half of a two-headed monster.
Hill possesses almost unmatched speed and game-breaking ability, but teams have to deal with that, while simultaneously dealing with one of the league’s other top weapons, Jaylen Waddle. Since being drafted by Miami in 2021, Waddle sits at 13th in the league in receiving yards. He has yet to have a season where he failed to eclipse a thousand yards. He has also snagged 251 receptions through his first three seasons, good for 12th all-time. Both of Miami’s pass catchers ranked in the top seven highest-graded receivers of 2023 according to Pro Football Focus.
Dolphins Duo May See Nearly 30-Year-Old Record Fall
The Dolphins duo have been on the cusp of breaking a record held by Herman Moore and Brett Perriman of the Detroit Lions. It has stood since 1995. The most receiving yards in NFL history by a receiving duo. A record that sits at 3,174. In 2022 the Miami pass-catchers combined for 3,066 yards. They fell just 108 short of the record in their first year as teammates. It was just the third time in NFL history a pair had surpassed three thousand yards in a season.
In 2023, the two combined for 2,813 yards, 361 short of the record. However, both Hill (1) and Waddle (3) missed games due to injury. Waddle and Hill averaged 72.4 and 112.4 receiving yards per game in 2023 respectively. The averages themselves still would’ve seen them come up short by 32 yards. However, the pair had a realistic shot to break the record had they played every game.
A big storyline of the 2023 season was Hill’s pursuit of 2,000 receiving yards The speedster has since changed his tune. But he looks to continue putting up absurd production in Miami. The league may not see Hill go for over 2,000 yards. But they could see Hill and Waddle break a record that’s fallen under the radar for decades if they can stay healthy. That would etch a new place in history for the pair. It would also make their case as the greatest receiving duo in NFL history after just three seasons together.
Main Photo: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
