Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle had rough going during the first half of the 2023 NFL season.

The former Alabama standout missed a 70-20 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sept. 24 because of a concussion. He went in and out of a 31-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 22 with a back ailment and a 21-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 5 with knee soreness.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say knocked around,” Waddle said on Monday when asked about the first half of his season. “We’ve just played in some hard, tough games against some physical teams. That’s what goes with hard-fought games.”

The Dolphins haven’t played since facing the Chiefs in Frankfurt, Germany. Miami heads into Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders after having an open date in Week 10 of the NFL season.

“Little nicks and dinks and bruises,” Waddle said. “That comes with the season. But that bye week definitely helped me. I feel like in the long run, the second half of the season, I just feel a lot fresher.”

Waddle said he went back to Houston to relax and recharge during the break.

“I went home,” Waddle said. “Spent some time with family. I ate real good. Everybody was cooking. It was good to be back home, for sure.”

Asked what he ate, Waddle said: “Oxtail, red beans and rice. Y’all know something? Real country boy.”

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The Dolphins and the Raiders kick off at noon CST Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. At 6-3, Miami leads the AFC East. Las Vegas is 5-5 after winning its two games since firing coach Josh McDaniels.

Miami has five of its remaining eight games at home, including four the final five, with the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and Bills coming to Florida. The Dolphins are 4-0 at home this season.

Miami has road games left against the Jets, Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens.

Waddle said he thought the team was in good shape to tackle that slate coming out of its bye.

“It helped a lot,” Waddle said. “We got some good work in before we left. Gave us a couple days off just to rejuvenate really — body recovery. I got a lot of treatment — not just me but all the guys. It was important to get our body right, especially going into the last stretch of the season.”

In eight games this season, Waddle has 40 receptions for 522 yards and three touchdowns.

Since joining the Dolphins as the sixth pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, Waddle has recorded two 1,000-yard receiving seasons. In 2021, he set an NFL rookie record with 104 receptions. In 2022, Waddle led the NFL with an average of 18.1 yards per catch.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.