ORLANDO — No matter what Tyreek Hill says, it has to be a little bit strange and probably also melancholic for the Miami Dolphins star to watch his friends thrive from afar.
Certainly, Hill has been no failure in the two years since his trade from the Kansas City Chiefs. Far from. No player has more receiving yards than Hill since 2022 (3,509). He’s here this week for his eighth Pro Bowl in as many NFL seasons.
Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill at Pro Bowl Games
And he’s both the PFN and Sporting News Offensive Player of the Year after a slash line of 119/1,799/13.
“It feels good, man. This is the first time I’ve obviously been in this position,” Hill said Friday. “And this is a year that I really focused on, you know, bettering myself as a player, better myself as just an individual man.
“And it truly shows what it could do if you, you know, change a lot of things in your life. So this year is gonna be a whole lot better, man, because I finally got a glance of what it actually looks like if I clean up a lot of things in my life.”
Hill’s maturation remains a work in progress, and he’ll always be eccentric. If any other star would file for divorce after two months and then basically insist it was a clerical error, it would be a bigger deal.
In Hill’s case, it’s just Tyreek being Tyreek. No one even asked him about it Friday.
The Dolphins are willing to deal with his picadillos so long as he produces. And he has in every way but one — playoff success.
The Dolphins are 0-2 in the postseason since Tyreek’s arrival, and Hill hasn’t been great in either L. He had 12 receptions for just 131 yards and one touchdown combined in those two games — and 53 of those yards came on one catch.
The Dolphins’ offense figuratively (and perhaps even literally) froze in their Wild Card round loss to Hill’s old team last month, raising serious questions about whether this current core can get the job done.
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“I will say this,” Hill said. “In Kansas City, it was very cold. That’s the only thing I can say. That’s the only game that we remember. And it’s just one of those games that we’ve got to be able to come together as a unit.
“We’ve got to be able to put drives together, you know, help our defense stay off the field and, you know, we’ll be all right. Obviously, things began to slow down going towards the end of the season. But next year will be a whole lot better, man, ’cause guys know what to expect.”
What the Dolphins should expect is Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs again standing in their way.
Since shipping Tyreek off to Miami 23 months ago, the Chiefs have won 31 of 40, including two AFC Championship Games and Super Bowl 57.
They’re back in the title game this week, while Hill on Sunday will be catching passes from Tua Tagovailoa in a flag football game.
So while Hill has earned $53.2 million in his first two years with the Dolphins — with another $19.8 million owed in 2024 — none of that has been able to buy him a second ring.
“Everything happens for a reason — meeting a bunch of new people that I wouldn’t even think of meeting,” Hill said. “So far, man, Miami has been everything it’s said to be. So, enjoying it. Kids are enjoying it. Family is loving it. And the weather’s always nice, so I can go to the beach any time I like.”
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