Decline in Production
Dolphins megastar receiver Tyreek Hill underwent his second wrist surgery of the offseason, per his Snapchat account on Wednesday. The speedster had been plagued with a lingering injury to his right wrist that dates back to last August. Doctors recommending season ending surgery according to his agent Drew Rosenhaus. Still, he preserved through the season falling just 41 yards shy of a fifth consecutive 1000 yard campaign. Head Coach Mike McDaniel told reporters the procedure was a planned one. This development seems consistent with the coach’s comments from February that the plan would be for Hill to not resume team activities until this summer. But even if all is right with Tyreek’s wrist, the same cannot be said about his standing with the team in the eyes of many fans.
Front Office Woes
It’s no secret that the down year of production, off field antics and Miami’s first losing record since 2019 have contributed to a particularly critical attitude towards the Dolphins theatrical wide out. Many reporters and fans could not help that interpret the omission of QB Tua Tagovailoa from Hill’s personal top 5 quarterbacks list he shared on a livestream earlier this week as yet another subtle outlet for expressing his displeasure with his current team. The drama regarding his relationship with the club dates back to the end of last season where a mic’d up moment in the season finale defeat at the hands of the rival Jets picked up that Hill had allegedly refused to enter the game in the final minutes. This was followed by months of social media insinuations about wanting to leave the Dolphins that Hill once said he hoped to finish his career with.
Potential Trade Deals
Hill is still a premium player even in the shadow of an underwhelming year. GM Chris Grier has not sought a trade partner yet but there is opportunity. Though Dallas left that market with the trade for George Pickens, several potential new teams remain. Pickens old Steelers along with the Chargers or Chiefs are plausible. Tyreek carries a steep cap hit with him that could limit his trade options. Miami may need to eat some of his $27 million cap hit as part of a deal. They would also need to come down on how much they want in return for Hill. Grier remarked he would “consider it” for a pair of 1st round picks before the draft. While obviously hyperbolic, a realistic offer could bring in a couple of day 2 selections, pending on how much of the cap hit Miami takes.
Room for Optimism
The Dolphins have not fielded calls about the eight time Pro Bowl selection currently even if the antics have left a good chunk of fans clamoring for a trade. But there is reason to believe that the 2023 receiving yards leader will be back to his old self next fall, and still as a Fin. It is hard to overlook the mountain of chippy shots he has taken so far. But Hill does have a history of stirring drama seemingly just for drama’s sake. It is very possible that all of the angst surrounding this situation evaporates once the pads are back on as the season approaches. This tension has gone hand in hand with Hill’s health issues and the substandard stats following it. A healthy tandem of Tyreek and Tua delivering on the stat sheet and the win column will turn the page on the lone ugly streak in an otherwise flourishing era in South Beach for Hill.
Conclusion
It is easy to feel like things cannot get better between the two camps but remember that all of these issues exist in the wake of a player forcing himself to play through a serious injury in a year while enduring an arrest, the loss of his QB twice, and some heartbreaking defeats. 2024 was a perfect storm for the culture to go sour, but the factors that forged this frosty relationship are not carrying over into next fall. It may be tempting to start imagining Hill in another teams colors. but the future of the Dolphins brightest star still shows plenty of promise, despite how tense things seem in the moment.
