Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time and a likely first-ballot Hall of Famer when his time comes.
At the same time, he's been a distraction off the field -- and, as recently as Miami's last regular-season game, on it as well.
Following that now-famous finale at MetLife Stadium, a comment made by Hill in the Dolphins' YouTube documentary, Under the Sun, sparked a reaction from yours truly.
Tyreek Hill says to 'practice like champions,' but he still has to regain Dolphins' trust
Hill is not heavily featured in Episode 1 of Under the Sun, but he is in a few scenes here and there. But it's his debut in the episode (6:23 mark) that piqued my interest the most. Talking to a small group -- that included head coach Mike McDaniel -- in between drills during practice, Hill comments, "We gotta practice like champions."
To the naked eye, it's a normal comment that has been and will continue to be made by football players and coaches at every level on countless occasions, as well as any other sporting outlet. But coming from Hill, it's enough to warrant a reaction that reads, "Come again?"
That's because in the Dolphins' regular-season finale last year against the New York Jets, Hill famously quit late in the third quarter, with Miami trailing by two scores and its playoff hopes dashed. The moment was even caught on camera during the game by Fox. After the game, Hill seemingly doubled down on his early exit with his "opening the door" interview.
Fast-forward to the present day, and Hill is still a Miami Dolphin. He's since recanted those talks of wanting out and has reversed course, now saying the right things about wanting to stay in Miami. He's gone further into expressing his belief that the Dolphins can be contenders this year, despite heavy criticism from several analysts and outlets saying otherwise.
In fact, directly after his "practice like champions" comment, Hill added, "And right now, I feel like we're practicing like champions." He was also seen motivating cornerback Storm Duck shortly after, whom he's squared off against repeatedly throughout practice this offseason.
Hill may be saying the right things now, but that's not going to be nearly enough with several in the fan base or those within the organization. It's certainly not enough for his quarterback. The last time Hill donned a Dolphins uniform, he did anything but act like a "champion." And for that, many Dolphins fans wish they were entering the 2025 season with Hill as an afterthought -- regardless of how good he is.
Nevertheless, Hill remains with the team (for now). But while his actions were nowhere near the level of Antonio Brown's in 2022 as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ironically, also at MetLife Stadium), the temperature is still very much warm for the Dolphins' WR.
Hill's name will continue to be mentioned in trade rumors from now until the November deadline, and even more so if the Dolphins get off to a slow start. In the meantime, Hill cannot be surprised he wasn't named a team captain as he has been in years past.
Tyreek, on not being voted a captain: "I don't need a title to be able to lead" https://t.co/WyqmnNI9II
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) September 3, 2025
Hill is instead focusing on how well he believes the Dolphins will do this year. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald posted on X that Hill stated, "This is the closest team I've been on...This is the best version of our offense I've seen. This is our year." McDaniel added that Hill "has taken ownership and shown commitment to his teammates," according to the Palm Beach Post's Joe Schad.
As for practicing, Hill hasn't done much of it himself lately, as he deals with an oblique injury. Unsurprisingly, he did not play in any of the Dolphins' preseason games, but he'll be good to go for Week 1 at the Indianapolis Colts by all accounts. We could learn rather quickly where he actually stands with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the rest of his teammates.
Tua essentially agreed with Hill in the opening of Under the Sun, saying, "It definitely feels as if it's more of a player-led team. The leaders this year are most engaged in what's best for the team this year...the dynamic with everything doesn't feel like it's one-sided."
The jury's still out on whether Tagovailoa includes Hill in that statement. If it doesn't, it could be a long season if tensions are obviously still unsettled.