Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill hasn't been himself this year, and it seems as though the wrist problem he has been dealing with all season is part of the problem.
Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith spoke with the media on Thursday and acknowledged that while Hill has done great working through the injury, he believes it has been part of the problem. How much of a problem is the real question?
The wrist injury isn't going to make Hill more wide-open on passing plays, but it could explain the number of drops he has had this year.
“Tyreek has been awesome working through the pain that is involved, catching the ball and working through it,” Dolphins OC Frank Smith admitting that Tyreek’s wrist injury has been a factor this year.
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) December 26, 2024
Hill has seen his production slide in 2024. He will likely not pass 1,000 receiving yards this year, and if he does, it will be by a small amount.
This is the worst season of his career statistically since his rookie campaign with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016. He has 834 receiving yards through Week 16, and he has only posted two games above 100 receiving yards this year. Those took place in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Week 14 against the New York Jets, and in Week 18, he will get a second chance against the Jets.
Miami Dolphins could keep Tyreek Hill sidelined if they are knocked out of the playoff race
Hill has complained that he has been getting too many veteran rest days and he was going to press Miami head coach Mike McDaniel to give him more practice reps.
Still, the Dolphins could be eliminated from the playoffs before Sunday, and if that happens, it might be a smart idea for the team to just shut their top wide receiver down for the final two games and not risk further injury.
Miami will play the Cleveland Browns and Jets in the final two weeks of the 2024 NFL season. Having Hill on the field has been more or less a decoy this year but the problem the Dolphins face this week and possibly next week is they may not have Jaylen Waddle on the field either. Waddle missed last week with a knee injury and could miss this week as well.