MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — No player in NFL history not named Tyreek Hill has ever had back-to-back 1,700-yard receiving yards.
And while the Miami Dolphins star of course again has high standards — particularly after seeking and receiving an improved contract this offseason — Hill has even higher expectations for teammate Jaylen Waddle.
Tyreek Hill on Miami Dolphins Teammate Jaylen Waddle
Asked by PFN Monday what he expects out of Waddle in 2024, Hill — who just last month was named the No. 1 player in the NFL’s Top 100 list — replied:
“All-Pro. I’d say All-Pro this year. He’s taken his game to another level in the classroom. He’s taking it more serious.
“He’s moved to the back of the classroom with me and River [Cracraft]. So he’s sitting beside us now. He’s asking more questions, which is great. He’s very eager to get better. And for me, I think, I believe that’s where it starts, if you want to be able to take your game to the next level as a not-ideal receiver size.
“You’re fast, you’re twitchy, you gotta be able to do it in the classroom, and he’s done a great job, you know, taking advice from coach Wes [Welker] … and all of the older guys in our room. I expect All-Pro, WR1, all that. Lead our team.”
Waddle got his own big payday this offseason, signing a three-year, $84.8 million extension that makes him the NFL’s seventh-highest-paid receiver.
Despite missing the entire preseason and much of the last month of practice working through a minor injury, Waddle was back on the field Monday and should be at his best when the season begins Sunday.
Waddle is aiming for his fourth-straight 1,000-yard season, but the way Hill was talking Monday, that should be the absolute floor for season expectations. And if Waddle’s production comes at the expense of Hill’s opportunities, so be it.
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“We got other guys to make plays, man,” Hill said. “It’s football. You feel me? When I was in [Kansas City], you know, I had what, 1,000 yards one year, and we won a Super Bowl, which is great.
“Yards is great, but at the end of the day, I wanna be able to win games. I wanna be able to do something special here in Miami now. It’d be great if you have had back-to-back-to-back 1,700 yards. Obviously, we gotta do what’s best for the team, and what’s best for the team is, you know, making sure that we’re able to put together some good drives and win games when it counts.”