The odds that Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle plays Sunday against the Denver Broncos are dwindling by the day.

Waddle on Thursday missed his second straight practice due to a concussion, meaning he needs to show marked improvement over the coming 24 to 48 hours to be available for the Dolphins’ home opener.

Miami Dolphins Practice Report

Waddle was one of two key Dolphins offensive players not to participate in Thursday’s practice, per reporters present.

Dolphins CB Xavien Howard returned to practice after getting vet rest on Wed.

Didn’t see WR Jaylen Waddle (concussion) or RB Salvon Ahmed (groin).

— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) September 21, 2023

The other was RB2 Salvon Ahmed (groin).

Given the calendar and the Dolphins’ philosophy of erring on the side of caution when it comes to activating injured players on game days, the smart money is on both Waddle and Ahmed missing Week 3.

If Ahmed cannot go, expect an increased workload for De’Von Achane, the rookie who had one carry for five yards in his NFL debut.

“I thought he did well with his opportunities,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said of Achane this week.

“You can tell that the game is not too big for him. The biggest challenge is absorbing the entirety of the game plan, which I think he’s made vast improvements upon really since the spring and through training camp. I think fortunately for the team, he’s prepared for the further opportunities that he’ll be given moving forward.”

As for the Waddle injury, expect the Dolphins to use a by-committee approach with his targets.

MORE: Miami Dolphins News — Jason Sanders Gets Vote of Confidence After Latest Miss

Braxton Berrios, Erik Ezukanma, and River Cracraft have all contributed in the Dolphins’ first two games.

“We’ve been rotating guys, and it’s been allowing others to get reps with the ones, with the twos, with other guys,” Tua Tagovailoa said Wednesday.

“And it also helps with the timing of that. You know where this guy is going to be at what point. Guys when their routes a little different, so being able to throw to a couple of the other guys out there today, working on timing, it’s been good.”

One additional Dolphins participation update: Cornerback Xavien Howard was back Thursday after getting a rest day on Wednesday.

Denver Broncos vs. Miami Dolphins Injury Report

Broncos

Did Not Practice

Limited

Full

Not yet available

Dolphins

Did Not Practice

Limited

Full

Not yet available

As Week 3 of the NFL season is set to kick off tonight, there is one off-the-field story that is not going away anytime soon. Travis Kelce and his possible relationship with pop megastar Taylor Swift have been a big story in the NFL world as of late.

With football being back and so much great action on the field, it just shows the star power of the possible couple that fans across the NFL and in pop culture just can’t seem to get enough tea about the matter.

Naturally, with two celebrities so polarizing rumored to be together, fans from both the sports side and the entertainment side of things have had their takes on it.

Did Jason Kelce Spill the Tea?

While this story doesn’t look like it is going away anytime soon, if there was a lull in fan interest and questions, Travis can thank his brother Jason for the flame being stoked again.

Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce was on a Philadelphia radio station earlier this week, and when asked about his brother and Taylor being together, he didn’t do anything to quiet the rumors, that’s for sure.

Jason Kelce confirms Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are dating 👀 pic.twitter.com/SvNjXJ9cuL

— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) September 20, 2023

“I think they’re doing great and I think it is all 100% true,” Kelce would say when asked about the love interest.

MORE: PFN Life — Off-the-Field Content

Of course fans and media alike would run with the quotes rightfully so, it is the confirmation that Travis and the NFL world have been avoiding that puts legitimacy to the entire rumor.

NFL Fans React to Latest Viral Rumors

i think it’s hard for swifties who don’t watch football to understand how awesome travis kelce is!! like he is so funny and so good looking!!! i’ve never shipped taylor swift with anyone this harddddd pic.twitter.com/ZMxRJlWpsY

— carolina (@caroswiftt13) September 15, 2023

Why is Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift dating rumors, a topic on First Take? pic.twitter.com/0bMdGLlUKf

— Wellington Burns (@burns_s7737) September 21, 2023

Apparently Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are a thing. What should she title their break-up song?

— Mike Stanger🌻🇺🇦✝️ (@MichaelStanger1) September 20, 2023

RGIII making Taylor Swift song references while talking about Travis Kelce’s Chiefs team on Monday Night Countdown 😂 pic.twitter.com/QgqXo8w5WN

— Caleb Noe (@CalebNoeTV) September 18, 2023

Fans on social media usually have hysterical reactions to these types of things. While it’s an entirely unserious matter, the amount of attention and interest this story has garnered shows just how powerful the NFL as an entity it truly is.

Kelce is an NFL star in his own right with his own loyal fans and admirers, add to the mix one of the music world’s most popular stars and you have a recipe for massive intrigue from every genre of the entertainment world.

There seems to be a wide array of takes on the matter, with the spectrum falling between not caring and being obsessed with the pairing, with everyone understanding this is more fun than anything. No matter how you feel about the rumored couple, one thing is clear is that this story isn’t going away, so we should buckle in for the “Love Story.”

Bryce Young missed practice on Wednesday. The rookie QB has struggled so far through two professional outings, but that’s to be expected from a top pick at the quarterback position. What do we know about the injury? How does this affect the offense moving forward, and what fantasy football impact could this have?

Bryce Young Injury Update

Young sustained an ankle injury during the Carolina Panthers‘ loss Monday night to the New Orleans Saints. The team signed quarterback Jake Luton to their practice squad today as well. However, we don’t know exactly when the injury occurred. Head coach Frank Reich declined to point out a singular play that could have caused the injury.

Frank Reich, speaking with the media— says he’s unsure if Bryce Young will play Sunday against the Seahawks.

Young popped up on the injury report today (ankle).

Reich didn’t specify any one particular play as the culprit.

— John Ellis (@1PantherPlace) September 20, 2023

That is a bit abnormal for an ankle sprain. But this could be a good thing for the offense and for Young if he’s forced away from action for a while.

We’ve seen what kind of damage a bad situation can do to a young QB. In Green Bay, for instance, we could be seeing what waiting in the shadows can do for a young player.

It’s crystal clear that the Panthers’ offense does not have the kind of firepower to facilitate early success for Young. But an ankle injury that didn’t pop up until after the Monday night game doesn’t seem like something that should hold him from action for too long.

Update 9/21: Young missed a second consecutive practice. Head coach Franch Reich has already decided it best to limit Young’s exposure to unnecessary hits. He’s using Andy Dalton on short-yardage plays to minimize hits.

“There’s a lot of different things we could do, but I just feel very comfortable in Andy,” Reich said on Tuesday, via the team’s official website. “And some of those things you just want to limit the exposure of Bryce to — and Bryce can do any of it, but you’ve got an experienced veteran.”

Fantasy Impact of Young Injury

Andy Dalton stepping in for Young would have limited fantasy appeal. In theory, the coaching staff could open up the playbook a bit for the veteran, something that would result in a minor bump for all of the pass catchers, but not to the point where they’d matter in starting lineups.