Tyreek Hill waving goodbye to the Hard Rock Stadium crowd while getting carted off the field with an aircast could go down as his final moment in a Miami Dolphins uniform. Fans may not know it yet, or they do and don't want to face the reality. Either way, the star wide receiver's gruesome leg injury marks a potential organizational inflection point that involves him skipping town.
The initial diagnosis that Hill suffered a dislocated knee was apparently only the tip of the iceberg. He reportedly also tore multiple ligaments, including his ACL. It's a brutal development that confirms Miami will be without him for the remainder of the NFL campaign. Yet, the gut-wrenching news also suggests the five-time All-Pro's time with the Dolphins is possibly over.
Brutal Tyreek Hill injury update casts doubt over star WR's future with Dolphins
Hill faces an uphill battle for 2026, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. With that and the contractual logistics the insider notably outlined in mind, the 10th-year wideout ostensibly becomes expendable. Albeit a hard truth, especially in the immediate aftermath of the situation, this is the nature of the business; life comes at you fast.
2026 marks the third and final season of the three-year, $90 million restructured extension Hill signed with Miami last summer. However, there's a potential out in the deal next offseason that leaves behind roughly $28.25 million in dead money. It'd be a considerable financial hit should the Dolphins go that route, though one might argue that moving on would be damage control.
Does Miami decide to eat its vegetables to soften the blow, knowing Hill has a bloated $51.9 million cap hit for next year? That'd be a logical pivot, especially given the franchise's current state. While the Dolphins picked up their first win of 2025 on Monday Night Football after Hill went down, this squad is going nowhere fast.
Rapoport mentions that Hill's salary next season is no longer guaranteed. Yet, the "Cheetah" has $11 million and $5 million roster bonuses that trigger if he's on the roster in March. In other words, the Dolphins have a handful of months to figure out how they want to proceed before things get complicated.
Chatter of Miami blowing it up following their 0-3 start should surely intensify with Hill out of the picture. Does this push the Phins open the floodgates and start a fire sale?