Following Tyreek Hill's gruesome injury, the Miami Dolphins are bringing back a familiar face to their wide receiver room. With the unsurprising news that Hill will miss the remainder of the season, as he'll need surgery to repair a torn ACL and other ligaments, the Dolphins wasted no time in adding to the group.
The morning after Hill's horrific injury, Miami is signing wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. off the New Orleans Saints practice squad.
First reported by NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the Dolphins are forming a reunion with Wilson, who spent two seasons with Miami back in 2022-2023. Wilson appeared in 30 total games with the Dolphins, recording 34 receptions for 432 yards and three touchdowns.
Dolphins reportedly sign Cedrick Wilson Jr. after losing Tyreek Hill for the season
Reunion: The #Dolphins are expected to sign veteran WR Cedrick Wilson Jr. off the #Saints practice squad, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 30, 2025
Wilson played two seasons with Miami (2022-23). Now, after Tyreek Hill’s season-ending knee injury, Wilson is headed back to Miami. pic.twitter.com/EqSwhqOUuD
In March 2022, in the early stages of free agency, the Dolphins signed Wilson to a three-year, $22.8 million contract. At that time, Wilson's contract indicated that he was going to be heavily involved in the offense for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and alongside wideout Jaylen Waddle.
Ironically, though, Miami's trade for Hill later that month deteriorated any chances of Wilson breaking out for the Dolphins after spending the previous three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. Instead, he became a distant third at best on the depth chart. Wilson even found himself behind Trent Sherfield in his first year with Miami.
Following the disappointing first season in South Florida, the Dolphins restructured Wilson's contract in August 2023, which voided his final year of the deal. After recording less than 300 yards receiving that year, Wilson moved on to New Orleans in 2024. Last season, he totaled 20 receptions for 211 yards and one score in 15 games. His best season came in his final year with the Cowboys, in which he recorded 45 receptions, 602 yards, and six touchdowns.
Wilson's signing midseason makes sense for the Dolphins. He's familiar with Mike McDaniel's offense and has two years under his belt working with Tua. Wilson won't come in and immediately become the WR2 behind Waddle, necessarily, but he also won't need time (which the Dolphins don't have) to get accustomed to the offense.
There's no one Miami could have signed who could replace and replicate what Hill does. His loss is a substantial one for the Dolphins' already fading playoff hopes. Now, they'll rely on a group of guys (and tight end Darren Waller) to step up in his place. Signing Wilson, who can also help out on special teams, makes sense in that regard.
With Wilson's addition to the WR room, the Dolphins now have him, Waddle, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Malik Washington, Tahj Washington, and Dee Eskridge in the group.