Tyreek Hill looking to ‘open door’ to Dolphins exit following Week 18 loss

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill appears ready to move on in his career.

The final whistle on the Miami Dolphins’ 2024 season is still echoing around MetLife Stadium, where a lackluster performance against the AFC East rival New York Jets dropped Miami to 8-9 on the season and out of playoff contention, but already offseason drama has started. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who head coach Mike McDaniel was told was “unavailable” for the fourth quarter of the game, appears to have decided his playing days in South Florida are over.

Omar Kelly, Dolphins columnist for the Miami Herald, posted on X a video of Hill following the game. In it, Kelly can be heard asking Hill about the receiver not reaching 1,000 receiving yards this season. After having already said he was blessed this season, Hill’s initial comments seemed to turn introspective. He replied, “I feel like, at the end of the day, there’s a lot of things that I need to reassess about my career and just see what I need to do to continue to get better as a player so I can continue to reach that thousand-yard mark. It is what it is.”

After a few more questions, Hill was asked by another reporter what message he, as a captain of the team, has for the club following the season. “I don’t really know,” Hill answered. “This is my first time I haven’t been in the playoffs. For me, I have to do what’s best for me and my family. If that’s here, or if that’s wherever the case may be. I’m fixing to open that door for myself. I’m opening the door. I’m out. It was great playing here, but at the end of the day, I have to do what’s best for my career. I’m too much of a competitor to be just out there.”

As he walked away, he was asked if that meant he was looking to leave Miami. Hill shrugged and responded over his shoulder, “Yes.”

The Kansas City Chiefs traded Hill to the Dolphins in 2022. He caught 119 passes for 1,710 yards and seven touchdowns in his first season with Miami, then added another 119 receptions in 2023, tallying a league high in receiving yards (1,799) and touchdowns (13). This year, he finished the season with 81receptions for 959 yards and six touchdowns. It was his first year of his nine-year career without a Pro Bowl selection.

Hill signed a re-worked contract with the Dolphins in August, keeping him under contract through the 2026 season. He had previously stated he planned to retire when his contract runs out with the Dolphins, but now it appears he could be looking for Miami to trade him this offseason. If he were traded before June 1, the Dolphins would have $28.3 million in dead money, just a little higher than his 2025 salary cap number of $27.7 million. A post June 1 trade would give the Dolphins just under $15 million in cap savings in 2025, but would move additional dead money in 2026.

McDaniel, who said he was told by coaches that Hill was unavailable for the fourth quarter, was asked about Hill’s post-game comments. According to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, McDaniel explained, “I’m not going to be too much weight on second hand postgame disappointment statements. We will see how next couple days progress in convos with him and I.”

Hill could just be riding high on emotions from a disappointing game and, on the plane flight home and in the next few days as the team and players rest and begin transitioning into 2025, could calm down. Or, this could be the opening salvo in an ugly offseason situation as Hill looks to get out out Miami.

UPDATE: Hill posted to X a message shortly after his comments to the media: