There is more going on than a simple release, trade, or retention of Miami Dolphins superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill. And all of it is a Dolphins problem.
If the Dolphins want to trade Hill, they need to take whatever someone will offer them. If they want to keep him, they need to come out and say they are doing exactly that. The Dolphins need damage control, and a team statement that says nothing isn't it. They created a mess, and they need to own it.
Terron Armstead told the Up & Adams show that on the bus to the airport following the Dolphins' Week 18 loss to the New York Jets, the same game that saw Hill walk off the field to start the fourth quarter and quit, he sat down next to his teammate and told him that what he did was not the way a captain is supposed to act.
Armstead pointed out that Hill and the Dolphins are at a point where they need to figure out what's next. This came one day before Hill was back in the news for an alleged domestic issue.
The Dolphins are not innocent in this. They voluntarily gave Hill more money in the 2024 offseason shortly after handing Tua Tagovailoa a massive extension. Hill didn't move money around to get the bump in pay. He didn't take on another year or restructure to free up money to sign a free agent. The Dolphins just gave him more money, apparently to keep him happy.
Dolphins will pay the price for making decisions on problematic players
Hill is technically under contract through the 2029 season. He won't make it that long. He may not make it to the end of the 2025 season. In 2027, the contract becomes voidable, and the Dolphins can walk away with only $2.8 million in dead money. Hill shouldn't make it to that season, either.
The Dolphins could move on from Hill this year, but it would be expensive. Per Over The Cap, Miami would eat $55.95 million in dead money by releasing or trading Hill before June 1. It's a significant increase from his current $27.7 million cap hit. Releasing Hill may not financially make sense, but it would be the type of move that clearly says the Dolphins' culture is more important than any singular individual.
Releasing Hill might also be the nail in Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel's career coffin. For Grier, it would be the waving of the white surrender flag. An admission that he was wrong. Everyone knows it; trading five draft picks during a massive rebuild was not a smart move. It was a fan move. It was name-chasing and throwing everything else out of the window.
Keeping Hill is equally a problem. He shouldn't remain a captain, but McDaniel left that door open. It's a horrible message to send.
In 2026, the Dolphins can move on more affordably. They would save $36 million by releasing Hill pre-June 1, 2026, and $39 million after that date. Regardless, Hill is likely gone after this year (or should be).
The Dolphins paid a big price to trade for Hill, and it didn't work. Now, they have only three choices, and one requires another team to call and offer them something in return.