Insider reveals why Dolphins' Jaylen Waddle didn't play vs. Bears

The Miami Dolphins were without wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle when they played the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday.

Hill wasn't a surprise, as the veteran is dealing with an oblique injury.

However, it wasn't clear why Waddle missed the Dolphins' first preseason game until the postgame news conference with head coach Mike McDaniel.

Per Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald, Waddle suffered an injury during the Bears-Dolphins joint practice held on Friday.

"Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle suffered an injury from the hit he took against the Bears in Friday's joint practice," Kelly posted on X.

"That's why he didn't play today." Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle suffered an injury from the hit he took against the Bears in Friday's joint practice.

That's why he didn't play today.

Per multiple reports, the practice between the Bears' defense and the Dolphins' offense got a little chippy .

Waddle took a hard hit from cornerback Tyrique Stevenson that put him on the ground for minutes.

Per Kelly, the Bears took multiple dirty shots at Waddle, Tua Tagovailoa and De'Von Achane.

"In my opinion a couple of Bears defenders should have been thrown out of practice hours ago," Kelly posted on X.

"They were playing dirty.

But if youre Miami are you gonna cry about it? You cant.

"Waddle, Achane and Tua all got hit, if not slammed to grown in a non-contact practice.

It was dirty." In my opinion a couple of Bears defenders should have been thrown out of practice hours ago.

They were playing dirty.

But if youre Miami are you gonna cry about it? You cant.

Waddle, Achane and Tua all got hit, if not slammed to grown in a non-contact practice.

It was dirty https://t.co/POmRoPl2bi While the Bears are trying to instill a tough culture on defense and even reportedly "encouraging" fights during their own practices, Chicago knows they can't go around beating the crap out of other teams and expect to schedule joint practices in the future.

On Sunday, Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times hinted that the Bears might have punished Stevenson for a "lack of self-control" during the joint practice where his uncalled-for hit led to Waddle's injury.

"CB Tyrique Stevenson is one of the few 1st-stringers playing for the Bears in a sweltering noon kickoff against the Dolphins," Lieser posted on X.

"Not clear whether it is because he's in a position battle or if this is a consequence for fighting and lack of self-control in the joint practice Friday." Good on the Bears for self-policing if they did punish Stevenson for going over the line.

Fortunately for the Dolphins, the injury to Waddle is minor .

But the hit was a scary situation.

Jordan Sigler is a sports writer with a decade of experience as a journalist, including his time as a breaking news/day cops reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

His sports coverage across the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, and college football world has also been featured at ChiCitySports, Gridiron Heroics, Pro Football Network, and Athlon Sports.

Based in Austin, Texas, Jordan graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from Texas Tech University in 2014.

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