The Miami Dolphins were without WR Tyreek Hill last week and still managed to put up 30 points against the New York Jets — though with significant help from Miami’s defense.
But let’s not get it twisted: Hill is as vital a part of Miami’s offense as any player on the team, and the Dolphins will be a whole lot better off if he can take the field against a talented Dallas Cowboys unit come Christmas Eve. According to head coach Mike McDaniel, it sounds like there’s a good chance Hill will suit up on Sunday.
Tyreek Hill Has a Chance To Play in Week 16
Hill “had a good week — no setbacks,” McDaniel noted on the star wideout’s status for Sunday. “We’ll see how he does today. Feel good about him … he’ll be out there working, so excited about that.”
Miami’s star pass catcher suffered an ankle injury during the team’s Week 15 meltdown against the Tennessee Titans, though Hill managed to return late in the game and corralled a few more catches. Based on McDaniel’s comments, it sounds like Hill will officially be listed as questionable heading into Week 16. The team’s final official injury report will be released around 4 p.m. ET on Friday.
The team hasn’t expressly mentioned the exact nature of Hill’s injury. When asked on Friday whether his top wideout suffered a high ankle sprain, McDaniel was coy about the specifics. “It was his ankle. There was a lot of science behind where I was just like, ‘phew,'” McDaniel joked.
With Hill unavailable against the Jets, the Dolphins relied heavily on 2021 first-round pick Jaylen Waddle. The 25-year-old wideout nabbed eight of nine targets for 142 yards and a touchdown against New York’s vaunted secondary.
Waddle exhibited superstar traits over his first two seasons in Miami, but he’s taken a bit more of a backseat to Hill in 2023.
The former Alabama stud pass catcher showed in Week 15 that when given the opportunities, he can be nearly as dangerous as his veteran counterpart, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see McDaniel keep the younger speedster involved, especially if Hill is limited in some capacity on Sunday.
MORE: How Miami Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle Has Managed Life as WR2
On the season, “The Cheetah” has 1,542 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns, both of which lead the league despite Hill missing last week’s contest. He needs 458 yards to be the first wideout to hit 2,000 receiving yards in a season, a goal he set for himself prior to Week 1.
PFN’s Mary Martinez broke down Hill’s path to 2,000 yards with her class this week, and, as her students astutely pointed out, Hill needs to average 153 yards through the air over the season’s final three games to hit his mark.
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