The worst-kept secret in the NFL over the last several months — that the New England Patriots would be acquiring wide receiver A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles on June 1 — finally happened, precisely as the world knew it would. The trade needed to be completed after that date due to contractual matters, but the end result is the same: A.J. Brown is a member of the Miami Dolphins' most hated rival. The disgruntled wideout will now reunite with the head coach who drafted him, Mike Vrabel, who himself has had quite the offseason of controversy.
While Patriots fans are clinging to the 'nothing to see here' mantra, Dolphins fans can see the cracks in the foundation. They've seen this movie before and have the scars to prove it. Alas, time will tell. There was a secondary part of the trade that will draw Miami fans' attention, particularly regarding a former Dolphin who relocated up north this offseason.
With the Patriots forced to make a corresponding roster move after acquiring Brown, they had to remove a player from the roster. Usually, this would wind up being an undrafted free agent on the very fringes of the roster. For New England, it meant placing their latest Miami import, tight end Julian Hill, on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury.
Fans won't be able to see Julian Hill in 2026, a season in which Miami will meet with plenty of revenge-minded former Dolphins
When Jon-Eric Sullivan was hired as the Dolphins' new general manager, his first order of business was slashing costs. That resulted in the ouster of many of the core fans who had come to know over the last several years. Then he had to assess Miami's roster and determine whether anyone was worth keeping around a little longer.
One of those players was Julian Hill, whom the Dolphins showed interest in re-signing, though not at the price he wanted. After initially declining Hill's restricted free agent tender that would've netted him $3.5 million, Sullivan tried to bring him back at a lower figure. Hill bet on himself — and won — inking a three-year deal worth $15 million with the Patriots.
The latest development means Hill will have to wait until 2027 to return to his old stomping grounds. He is not eligible to play for the Patriots this year unless he is released, which is highly unlikely due to the $7.5 million he received in guarantees. It is far more likely that he suffered a season-ending injury either in OTAs or while training that knocked him out for the year.
While fans — and some players — surely wanted to see the Dolphins beat Hill in his new digs, no one wanted it to happen like this. Here's to hoping for a speedy recovery for the ever-physical, hard-nosed Hill, who will hopefully get to lose to the Dolphins next year instead. Get well soon, Julian!
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