Tyreek Hill grabbed headlines as he implied a desire to leave the Miami Dolphins in the postgame interview following a 32-20 loss against the New York Jets. Yet, before the start of the 2024 season, the star wide receiver had agreed to a restructuring of his contract.
Entering Week 18, the Dolphins still had a chance of making it to the playoffs. If they had won and the Kansas City Chiefs had defeated the Denver Broncos, Miami would have made it in as the No. 7 seed. Nevertheless, the Broncos crushed Kansas City’s backup squad, and the Dolphins couldn’t win their game, either.
After ending the NFL season with an 8-9 record, Hill gave a sneak peek of his future plans. However, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier revealed details about his meeting with the athlete.
Dolphins GM Chris Grier on Tyreek Hill Wanting Out of Miami
In talking with the media after Miami’s embarrassing loss, Hill made it seem that staying with the Dolphins could be detrimental to his career.
“I’m opening the door. I’m out, bro. 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,” he said.
“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,” Hill added.
Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill basically said he wanted out of the Dolphins organization after the game. pic.twitter.com/gIiMv7Edaf
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) January 6, 2025
The interview sparked speculations and debates about the career of the 30-year-old. On Tuesday, Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel addressed the situation in front of the media after an hour-long meeting on Monday.
“But he never asked for a trade with me. Those were productive conversations, I will keep those between us,” Grier clarified.
The Dolphins’ GM also explained the potential cause of Hill’s behavior during and after the season finale.
“The one thing I would say is, in a frustrating season, he was very emotional in a game where we had a chance, coming back from 2-6. All of that with him playing through his [wrist] injury just kind of bubbled to a point,” he added.
🚨🚨Breaking News #Dolphins GM Chris Grier addresses Tyreek Hill’s desire to be traded
“Mike and I both had conversations with Tyreek here.. yesterday, productive conversations, I will keep those between us.. the one thing I would say is in a frustrating season he was emotional… pic.twitter.com/OswbVZUkhT
— El Capitan (Chris) The Fins Tail Gate (@thefinstailgate) January 7, 2025
Mike McDaniel shared his feelings about how Hill reacted, calling it unacceptable.
“I think the competitive spirit of his can represent postgame, especially in a season or a game that nobody likes, it can allude to a relationship being one way. I was very direct with him. He was very honest, and it was great terms that we were discussing,” McDaniel revealed.
“We discussed multiple things, including without wavering, that it’s not acceptable to leave a game and won’t be tolerated in the future, and he embraced accountability. I wouldn’t say there’s necessarily anything to fix, but we had to clear the air in a rough and tumultuous situation,” McDaniel further said.
Mike McDaniel on his conversation with Tyreek Hill, “It’s not acceptable to leave a game and won’t be tolerated in the future” … https://t.co/0qcSMcjTwZ pic.twitter.com/28Tm2h83Oo
— WPLG Local 10 Sports (@Local10Sports) January 7, 2025
Hill was voted as the No. 1 player in the NFL before the season started, so the 81 receptions for 959 yards and six touchdowns in 2024 did not reflect what we’re accustomed to seeing from the Cheetah.
To compare statistically, Hill’s 2023 season was a hit, hauling in 119 passes for 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns. He blames a partially torn ligament in his wrist for his declining production.
The season started with Hill being detained and handcuffed by police officers before the opening game against Jacksonville. Hill says he aggravated the ligament during the fiasco, where he was dragged out of his car, placed on the ground, and cuffed.
How Would a Hill Trade Impact the Dolphins?
Hill would leave a hefty dent on both the teams involved in his trade. The Dolphins’ options for getting Hill off their books in the 2025 offseason are limited.
He would leave behind $55,947,500 in dead money if they were to cut him, which is an increase of $28,248,750 over his current cap number. Even as a designated post-June 1 cut, Hill’s cap number for 2025 would increase significantly to $40,378,750 (+ $12.68 million).
A trade is the most interesting potential outcome, with a $15.85 million option bonus that must be exercised by the end of August 2025. Hill would still leave behind significant dead money in terms of his signing bonus and previous restructure payments ($28,297,500), but it would only be an increase of $598,750 over his current cap number.
With the option bonus not being due until August, Miami could trade Hill after June 1, which would actually be a saving in 2025 of $14.97 million. That money would then hit the cap in 2026, but a split dead money of $12,728,750 in 2025 with the remaining money in 2026 is much easier to swallow.
Hill’s three-year, $90 million contract was restructured in August 2024, keeping him in Miami through the 2026 season. That makes his decision to publicly make these comments all the more interesting.
A few teams that could potentially make a move for Hill include organizations with massive amounts of cap space next year, like the Los Angeles Chargers ($74.4 million in 2025), Denver Broncos ($60 million), and the Washington Commanders ($102.5 million).