ESPN analyst says Tyreek Hill joining Dolphins was one of the worst mistakes ever

Things aren't looking good for the Miami Dolphins in 2024 after a 1-3 start, and Tyreek Hill is at the center of it. After the Dolphins' offense struggled to move the ball for the third straight week, Hill was at his wit's end and was caught freaking out on the sideline during the blowout loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Hill had four catches for 23 yards in the loss and has only gone for over 100 yards once this season. That, of course, was in Week 1 when the Dolphins came from behind to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was also the only full game where the 'Fins had Tua Tagovailoa at the helm. While the Dolphins' offense wasn't playing well before Tua's injury in Week 2, not having him has been the anchor that's sunk this once explosive ship.

Following the Dolphins' third straight blowout loss, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith had things to say about Hill on First Take. Smith pointed out how Hill opted to leave Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and the Kansas City Chiefs, who have since gone on to win two Super Bowls since Hill was traded to Miami, and how this might be "one of the greatest mistakes" ever made by an NFL player.

Stephen A. Smith says Tyreek Hill will regret leaving Chiefs and joining Dolphins

Here was the full quote from Smith:

"You're Tyreek Hill. You walked away from Patrick Mahomes. You walked away from Andy Reid. And now the Miami Dolphins look like hot garbage because they don't have their quarterback, Tua, who you cannot rely upon because his durability due to the concussions is simply not something that you can rely on. It's that simple. I think this could end up going down as one of the greatest mistakes an NFL football player has ever made in terms of their on-field decisions, departing from Kansas City to go to Miami."

He concludes by asking what can people see from Hill this year when he doesn't have a quarterback to throw the ball his way. Smith is right that Hill's on-the-field talents are going to be wasted this year if Tua can't come back anytime soon, but let's not pretend like the Dolphins haven't had success with Hill. It's not like he's playing for the Carolina Panthers or a team finishing in the bottom five every year.

The Dolphins have gone 9-8 and 11-6 in both of Hill's previous years with the team and they reached the postseason both times. Yes, the team ended up getting bounced from the playoffs early, but Hill has accomplished things in Miami. He had nearly 1,800 receiving yards last year, proving that when Tua is throwing him the ball, good things can happen.

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On the flip side, it's hard to argue that Hill wouldn't have achieved more overall with Kansas City. Maybe he's not getting the ball thrown his way as often (though did you see the wide receivers Patrick Mahomes had to work with last year?) but the Chiefs still made it to the Super Bowl and won two straight titles.

Now, it's worth noting that if Hill stayed with KC and they paid him a hefty extension that the Chiefs might not have the same heavy-hitting defense they have now in part thanks to that trade. Still, the offense probably would have continued humming and the team would have put on their best New England Patriots hat and found ways to win those games, as they always seem to do.

You know things aren't good when talking heads are producing quotes like the one Smith had about Hill and that's something Dolphins fans are going to have to get used to if the season continues to go as poorly as it has so far.