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Darren Waller is trying to make his return from retirement.

He came back this offseason and got a trade from the New York Giants to the Miami Dolphins in an effort to get a solid opportunity at an NFL comeback.

On Thursday, the Dolphins will open Week 3 on Thursday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills.

Waller, though, has been battling a hip injury.

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Is Darren Waller playing on Thursday Night Football?

No, Darren Waller is not playing in Week 3 for the Dolphins on Thursday Night Football.

He was listed as a limited practice participant all three days this week due to his hip injury.

Waller was officially ruled out on Wednesday’s final injury report.

He has yet to play since returning to the NFL this season.

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The Dolphins could probably use the athletic tight end, even just in distinct packages, but apparently Waller isn’t quite ready to suit up yet.

The fact that he’s sticking this out suggests Waller does indeed want that comeback to be complete by playing in the regular season.

But for now, Waller and Dolphins fans have to wait it out.

MORE NFL NEWS:

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Christian Wilkins’ release early in training camp raised all sorts of questions about how the Raiders’ interior defense would make up the difference.

Las Vegas’ tackles have for the most part made those concerns moot.

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That includes Jonah Laulu, who already has three sacks in two games. He had one in 17 games as a rookie last season.

“He has just blossomed,” coach Pete Carroll said. “He had enough plays on film coming off of last year that he caught my eye like a potential guy that might really be a factor. So I was really excited about him in the offseason, and he did everything right.”

Carroll might not be all that shocked that Laulu is making a strong impact early this season, but outside of the Raiders facility, he wasn’t on many radars.

Indianapolis drafted him in the seventh round in 2024 out of Oklahoma, and he made to the final cut before the Colts waived him on Aug. 27 of last year. Laulu’s hometown Raiders picked him up the following day.

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He showed enough promise to start seven games last season on a defense ravaged by injuries, and then he built on that experience in this summer’s camp.

“He works hard,” star pass rusher Maxx Crosby said. “He’s doing great. He’s young. He’s got a lot of good tools and he’s just getting better. No one’s surprised he’s playing well. He’s just got to keep building off what he started.”

For Laulu, the battle to become an impact player is as much mental as physical, and he has been open about his struggles with impostor syndrome. Though not considered a mental health disorder, many medical experts take the condition seriously that affects many people who doubt they are qualified for their work positions.

That includes Laulu and the NFL.

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“I feel like it’s really about coming every day to work to be that same person every day,” Laulu said. “You want to be consistent. You don’t want to be an emotional person. Obviously, football is not an easy sport mentally or physically. I’m trying to be my best every day.”

His best has been pretty good this season.

Laulu sacked New England quarterback Drake Maye once in the 20-13 season-opening victory and then took down Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert twice in Monday night’s 20-9 loss.

The Raiders as a team have six sacks this season, tied for eighth in the NFL.

They will face a mobile quarterback Sunday at Washington in either Jayden Daniels or former Las Vegas QB Marcus Mariota. Daniels will not practice until at least Friday because of a knee injury.

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“We have a lot of background about Marcus on the staff, so we know what his capabilities are, we think,” Carroll said. “So we’re planning for both guys, but primarily for Jayden.”

Laulu will be an integral part of that plan, which he began to earn in offseason and preseason practices, showing he could perform alongside fellow tackles Adam Butler and Thomas Butler IV. It’s one thing to play well in practice, but transferring that to the season is the real test.

So far, so good.

But Laulu isn’t one to think he’s arrived. Each week is a proving ground, a chance to show himself that he belongs.

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“I still feel like I haven’t really done much,” Laulu said. “I made some plays here and there, but I’m still shooting for the sky and trying to make plays in the game and get better every day. I’m the type of person, I made plays, but I could’ve made more after watching the (Chargers) game a couple of times, seeing all the missed opportunities and what I can do.”

Geno Smith tries to bounce back

Raiders quarterback Geno Smith tied a career high with three interceptions in the loss to the Chargers. That came a week after he passed for 362 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots.

Smith said the video from the LA loss “was tough to watch.”

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“You can never just flush that,” Smith said. “You got to learn from it, and that’s what I did. I watched it over 10 times and just tried to figure out what did I need to do to be better, which was a lot of things that were obvious — being more accurate, taking what they give me, not being so aggressive.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

The San Diego Padres are neck and neck with the Los Angeles Dodgers in their battle for NL West supremacy. 

The Padres are looking for their first division title since 2006, while the Dodgers are trying to lock up their 12th title in the past 13 seasons. 

The offense in Southern California hasn’t exactly been the “Slam Diego” of the past that many are used to, but the bats of Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill are still producing for the Friars, and an additional hot stick could be added for 2026 if the cards are played right. 

Padres Linked to Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber

Aside from perhaps Cal Raleigh, there’s really not a hotter bat in the majors than that of Kyle Schwarber, who recently eclipsed the 50-home run club for the first time in his career. 

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand has reported the Padres as the top option to land the designated hitter. 

“Schwarber was ranked at No. 3 on our recent list of this offseason’s free agents, behind only Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman,” Feinsand wrote.

With Schwarber vocally open to staying in Philadelphia, it might take a little bit to persuade the slugger to move, but if anyone can do it, it’s San Diego’s president of baseball operations A.J. Preller.

The Mariners try to keep this improbable streak alive, but will have to do so against Royals ace Cole Ragans, freshly returned from the IL where he’s spent most of the 2025 season, first with a groin injury and then with a rotator cuff strain. Ragans made just two starts in the minors in September, throwing around 50 pitches each time; he should have about 60-70 pitches tonight. “Hopefully he goes out there and goes twelves up twelve down or however many hitters he gets to face and we can say, all right, let’s go get them again in five days” said manager Matt Quataro. Michael Lorenzen will step in for Ragans whenever he hits his pitch count as a bulk arm.

Ragans is a lefty, so the Mariners will run out their righty-heavy lineup to start the game. Expect substitutions when Lorenzen, the righty, takes over, especially the red-hot Dominic Canzone, coming off a career night last night.

Today’s Game Information:

TV: ROOT Sports NW, with Aaron Goldsmith and Ryan Rowland-Smith

Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.

To make room for Ragans, the Royals optioned RHP Luinder Avila, who pitched in last night’s game, back to Omaha.

Today in Mariners History:

USA sprinter Fred Kerley has become the first American male track and field athlete to join the Enhanced Games.

The Enhanced Games are an Olympic-style startup sports organization offering competition in which athletes are permitted to use performance-enhancing substances and methods without drug testing. Kerley posted to social media on Wednesday, confirming his announcement.

Kerley is a two-time Olympic medal winner in the 100-meter race, having won bronze in Paris last summer and silver in the 2021 summer games in Tokyo. In the track and field world championships, Kerley has won six medals, including gold in the 100 in 2022. He is currently provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit for whereabouts failures.

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A whereabouts failure is recorded against an athlete (in this case, track and field) when they fail to submit their whereabouts (location) or update them as soon as possible after a change of circumstances. A failure can also occur when an athlete is not available for drug testing at the corresponding location (whereabouts) on file and misses their 60-minute time slot.

“This now gives me the opportunity to dedicate all my energy to pushing my limits and becoming the fastest human to ever live,” Kerley said of his joining the Enhanced Games.

In May, Kerley was arrested in Florida for battery for an alleged assault against his ex-girlfriend, which he has since denied. This incident came on the heels of Kerley’s arrest in January, when he allegedly punched a Miami Beach police officer. Kerley has denied both claims through his attorneys.

The Enhanced Games organization positions itself as pushing the limits of human ability through science to monitor what athletes intake without punishing them for using drugs. On the Enhanced Games website, it also claims that competing athletes will undergo extensive medical profiling prior to competition, allowing its independent medical commission to determine if athletes are safe to compete.

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is getting back on the field.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters in his press conference that Purdy’s toe injury has progressed enough for him to practice in a limited capacity on Wednesday.

Shanahan added that there’s a chance Purdy will start Sunday’s game against the Cardinals. There’s also a chance Purdy could be the emergency third quarterback.

Purdy has been dealing with a toe injury and a shoulder injury. Mac Jones started last week’s win over the Saints, completing 26-of-39 passes for 279 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Shanahan also noted that fullback Kyle Juszczyk (concussion), safety Siran Neal (concussion), guard Spencer Burford (knee), and defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) will not practice.

Running back Christian McCaffrey (calf/rest), left tackle Trent Williams (knee/rest), and defensive end Nick Bosa (rest) also will not participate on Wednesday.