With all the needs on the Miami Dolphins roster, it seemed like a no-brainer that they would bring tight-end Julian Hill for another season. They offered him a one-year deal worth under $3.5 million. He turned it down.
Hill wasn't on the free agent market long, surprisingly. The Dolphins are going to find out if letting him go was a smart move or just a calculated one. Hill joined the New England Patriots as a free agent, but it's the contract that has fans shaking their heads.
More #Patriots moves: They have agreed to terms with FA TE Julian Hill and FA S Mike Brown, per The Insiders.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2026
Julian Hill's big contract with the Patriots has Miami Dolphins fans grinning from ear to ear
It's not uncommon to see players leave one team and get a deal that raises the eyebrows of the former team's fan base. That is exactly what happened on Wednesday. With needs at tight end, the Dolphins refused to pay more for Hill to remain on the team. Hill was a restricted free agent.
Hill banked on himself in free agency and won. It's safe to say fans are happy for his good fortune. The deal is a three-year contract with up to $18 million in potential earnings. It's a big jump from the three-year $2.7 million deal he signed with Miami as an undrafted free agent.
The guaranteed portion of his Patriots contract hasn't been released yet, but at an average of about $6 million per season, the Patriots still overpaid. This is one of the problems the NFL is starting to face, as players who typically would land far lower contracts are getting paid more.
What the Patriots will quickly learn is that Hill is an average blocker who needs help. His footwork and ability to hold blocks have been problems he has yet to overcome. The Patriots view him primarily as a blocking tight end, but he isn't consistent in that role.
Hill has been known for his ill-timed false starts and holding calls. For his sake, we hope that changes. Hill is a great locker room guy whose teammates love, but on the field, Dolphins fans know all too well that he can make costly errors at the worst of times.
Some fans have wondered whether Hill will be another former Dolphins player to find success with an AFC East rival, but it's hard to look at his three-year production and assume that one offseason will change anything. Most fans were expecting Hill to be released prior to the start of the 2025 season, but Mike McDaniel was firm in his belief in the tight end.
Hill had been targeted 48 times as a receiver over his time with Miami. He has 33 receptions. Despite his prototype size, he hasn't had a touchdown and hasn't been a reliable red zone threat.
The Patriots may see him as a TE-2 on their roster, and to be honest, his 2025 season wasn't nearly as bad as the previous two seasons, but his catch percentage dropped to 50% despite his snap count increasing to 55% of the Dolphins' offensive plays.
On the plus side for Hill, he reduced his penalty count considerably in 2025. He had two last year that were enforced. Dolphins fans hope that trend reverses for obvious reasons, but the contract (we applaud it for the player) seems quite high on the surface.
If Hill doesn't continue to improve, Patriots fans are going to learn a hard truth about him sooner rather than later.