The Miami Dolphins should have their star tight end active when they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their final home game of the year. After missing practice on Wednesday, Darren Waller was upgraded on the team's Thursday injury report update, putting him in line to play in Week 17.
Waller was a DNP on Wednesday but logged a limited practice on Thursday, according to the Dolphins' official injury report. The star tight end is listed on the report as dealing with a groin injury and rest.
Waller, 33, is on track to make his ninth appearance of the season and his fifth consecutive to end the 2025 calendar year. He had not been active for the team's first three games of the year after coming out of retirement, and has sporadically missed several games throughout the season due to various injuries.
Waller enters Week 17 with 23 catches for 283 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He has done most of his work with Tua Tagovailoa, but he did catch three of his five targets for 40 yards in rookie Quinn Ewers' Week 16 debut.
Barring a setback, Waller is in line to play a significant role in the Dolphins' penultimate game of the 2025 season. The Buccaneers have allowed 369 receiving yards and five touchdowns to tight ends in their last four games.
Dolphins' Week 17 injury report
While Waller is arguably the most notable name on the Dolphins' Week 17 injury report, he is far from the only one. The veteran tight end is joined by star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, center Aaron Brewer, receiver Jaylen Waddle, defensive tackle Benito Jones, linebacker Tyrel Dodson and kicker Jason Sanders as the group of starters in danger of missing the game.
Fitzpatrick and Brewer are the top two players trending in the wrong direction. Neither has taken the field on Wednesday or Thursday, with the three-time All-Pro safety dealing with a calf injury, and Brewer sidelined with a neck ailment.
Dodson, Jones and Sanders each joined Waller as limited participants on Thursday. Sanders, who has spent the entire year on injured reserve, has been practicing for over a week and is close to making his 2025 debut.
