The Miami Dolphins have been criticized for many things over the last few seasons. They are just 7-12 in games in December and January (including the playoffs) under Mike McDaniel, and their offense has struggled to find success when Tua Tagovailoa is not healthy.
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington believes the Miami Dolphins have a “culture issue to address,” and he believes it begins with their star players. The first on the list is wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Jeff Darlington Believes Dolphins’ Culture Must Change, Starting With Tyreek Hill
“If you are in a relationship and you get in a big fight and you start throwing around the word ‘divorce,’ you can’t just a couple of days later be like, ‘Oh that old thing? I was just kidding around,'” Darlington said.
Darlington is referencing Hill’s infamous post-game rant that came after Miami’s Week 18 loss, with the team falling short of the postseason for the first time in the McDaniel era. Hill’s postgame comments raised plenty of eyebrows: “I’m opening the door. I’m out, bro,” Hill told reporters after the game. “It was great playing here, but at the end of the day, I got to do what’s best for my career. I’m too much of a competitor to be just out there.”
Hill added, “This is my first time I haven’t been in the playoffs, man. So, I just got to do what’s best for me and my family. If that’s here or wherever the case may be, I’m finna open that door for myself.”
Darlington clarified further on the situation in Miami, stating that Hill’s comments have created a divide so cavernous that it may be impossible to overcome, despite his intentions to Band-Aid the situation in a recent interview.
“Your spouse in the back of their mind is going to start wondering, ‘Well, why did you bring that up?’ And that’s going to linger into the offseason. So that’s all well and good that Tyreek Hill said he feels responsible for what he says. It’s important to be accountable.
“But, you got to still wonder what the Dolphins are thinking behind the scenes. No, I don’t think that this is necessarily going to lead to a trade because of contractual reasons among others, but I do think that this is the start of a culture change in Miami, and I do believe it begins with Tyreek Hill.”
.@jeffdarlington says the Dolphins have a "culture issue to address" starting with their star players 😯 pic.twitter.com/yusMhVtjen
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 13, 2025
Late in the third quarter of the final regular season game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, with the Dolphins down 18-6, Fox cameras focused on three Dolphins players, including wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
Audio picked up Waddle turning to Hill and asking Hill, “Hey, Cheetah. You done?”
Hill clearly was done. He was never on the field in the fourth quarter, and Miami went on to lose to the Jets, 32-20, to finish the season 8-9 and miss the playoffs.
Ultimately, Miami would have missed the playoffs regardless, thanks to the Denver Broncos’ 38-0 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Nonetheless, Miami’s season ended on a whimper, losing convincingly to the 12-loss Jets.
Hill finished the game with just 20 yards on two catches (seeing only three targets). It was Hill’s sixth game with under 30 receiving yards that season and his ninth with less than 50. The speedster only had three games with over 100 yards — Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars (130), Week 14 against the Jets (115), and Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns (105).
Following the loss, Hill talked to reporters about the game and the season, and his frustrations shone through.
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Even though Hill led the Dolphins in receiving, he only finished with 959 yards in 17 games. It was his first season with under 1,000 yards since 2019. In fact, it was his first under 1,200 yards in that span, including going over 1,700 the previous two seasons, his first two in Miami.
Furthermore, Hill’s six receiving touchdowns tied his career low, which came previously in his rookie season in 2016.
