Photo Credit: USA TODAY Sports
Tyreek Hill is trying to repair his standing in the Miami Dolphins locker room after a rocky end to the 2024 season. Hill pulled himself from the regular-season finale against the New York Jets and later hinted to reporters that he might want to play elsewhere. Although Dolphins general manager Chris Grier confirmed Hill never formally asked for a trade, the wide receiver apologized in February and walked back his comments. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa addressed the situation after the team’s first training camp practice on Wednesday, saying Hill’s journey to rebuild trust is still ongoing.
“It’s not just with me, it’s with a lot of the guys. I’m not the only one that heard that. You guys aren’t the only people that heard that,” Tagovailoa said. “A lot of people that follow football, that follow the Miami Dolphins, that follow Tyreek that are fans of his — everyone has seen that. So, when you say something like that, you don’t just come back from that with, ‘Hey, my bad.’ You got to work that relationship up; you’ve got to build everything back up again.”
Tagovailoa said Hill has been putting in the effort.
“He’s working on himself; he’s working on the things that he says he wants to get better with and do better on. So that’s the first step to me, and so I commend him for doing that.”
A Season to Forget
The 2024 season didn’t go as planned for Miami, and Hill’s production reflected the team’s struggles. He finished with 81 catches for 959 yards and six touchdowns — well below the 1,700-yard seasons he posted in 2022 and 2023.
The Dolphins missed the playoffs, marking the first time in Hill’s nine-year NFL career he didn’t make the postseason. Hill later said his comments came from frustration and privately apologized to Tagovailoa.
Once a three-time captain, Hill said he’s not assuming anything this year. He knows he has to earn that leadership role again and that it’s up to his teammates to decide whether he deserves it.
Tagovailoa Sees a New Side of Hill
Tagovailoa noted that Hill has been more open this offseason — not just about football, but about life.
“I think there’s a lot more vulnerability with Tyreek. He’s conversing a lot more with the guys, not just about football but about things off the field,” Tagovailoa said. “Being vulnerable with some of the things that people know about his personal life and things of that nature. And I think that’s the first step to him. Building true relationships and a real connection with a lot of the guys in there.”
Tagovailoa added that while everyone respects Hill’s talent, they also understand that personal growth takes time.
“Everyone knows what he can do on the field. Tagovaila. Everyone respects what he can do on the field, but I think he’s still trying to figure things out for himself as well. … Everybody makes mistakes. It’s just some people, they’re in a spotlight and their deals get pushed out more than some others. So just got to cut him some grace. I mean, that’s our teammate. We love him, but as a person, if you get to know him, I think you’d love him too.”
Hill Refocusing on Football
Linebacker Jordyn Brooks said he didn’t believe Hill had lost trust with the team but emphasized that training camp is about building stronger bonds.
Hill, for his part, said he’s focused on football and eliminating distractions.
“This whole entire offseason, I’ve been busting my tail,” Hill said. “I want to see what it looks like whenever I focus just on football, and I just focus on myself and family. Because I feel like I really haven’t been giving the best version of me, of Tyreek, my whole entire career. I’ve always been trying to be here, be there.”
Hill said slowing down and locking in on his training has helped him reset.
“But me being able to slow down a little bit, train and bust my tail for myself and then also for this community and this team, I feel like it’ll be worth it. So, I just want to see what that version of myself looks like, so I’m looking forward to it.”
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This report used information from ESPN.
