When the Miami Dolphins traded for Tyreek Hill, fans flew out of their seats. The fast and explosive wide receiver was going to take the team's offense to a new level. For two years, he did.
Hill realized early in the season that he wasn't going to hit 2,000 yards, which was a target last year. Despite putting 130 yards on the ticket to start the season, Hill posted 24, 40, and 23-yard games over the next three games.
The All-Pro is on pace for 978 receiving yards, which would be the first time he has fallen below 1,000 since 2019, when he missed four games due to injury. For comparison, Hill finished the 2023 season with a league-best 1,799 yards.
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Something isn't right with Hill anymore that goes well beyond his statistics this season. Across social media, mainstream media, and podcasters, questions are being asked about his motivation to continue playing, and now some are using terms like "washed" and "passed by" to describe him.
“Tyreek Hill might be washed,” says @billygil on @LeBatardShow.
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) December 16, 2024
Thoughts?
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His drop in production can be attributed to how the defenses are covering him, and it became clear that instead of finding ways to get Hill more involved in the offense to counter the defensive schemes, Mike McDaniel instead used him to pull coverage to feed others the ball in plays that were not changed to get the ball to Hill.
Hill's motivation could also have been money, but Chris Grier felt he needed to pay him during the offseason. Instead of giving Hill an extension, Grier just gave him more money. Was that a smart decision?
Tyreek Hill is still a great receiver, but he has clearly taken a step back in the Dolphins' offense
Over the course of the year, we have seen a different Hill on the field. There are no more long deep passes each game to loosen the defenders; there are no creative motion routes that put the ball in Hill's hands. He isn't being asked to run new routes, and as a result, we don't see the same fire in him that we saw in the last two seasons.
When the game was on the line, as it was in Green Bay, Hill was on the sideline when the Dolphins were 1st-and-goal. When the game was on the line against the Texans, Hill gave up an interception on a ball he had two hands on. Surprisingly, he didn't seem to fight for it as he has in the past.
It's hard to look beyond the loss in 2024. Hill isn't used to that. In Kansas City, it was always playoffs and Super Bowl runs, but in Miami, it's chasing a Wild Card spot and then losing in Round 1.
Maybe it's time to move on from Hill. Unfortunately, the Dolphins can't afford to do that in the offseason. If cut before June 1, he would carry a $55 million cap hit with only $28 million in savings. If cut after June 1, $40 million would be dead money, and the team would only save $12.6 million, according to Over The Cap. The Dolphins are married to Hill in 2025, which will almost certainly be his last with the Dolphins.