Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill by all accounts should be just fine.
The foot injury that bothered Hill in Week 8 remains an issue heading into the Dolphins’ pivotal Week 9 game against the Buffalo Bills. But after missing practice Wednesday, he was back in action Thursday.
What Is Tyreek Hill’s Injury?
Hill practiced on a limited bases Thursday. The Dolphins report he needed treatment for a foot injury that bothered him last week.
Hill’s return Thursday to practice was expected. The reason for his absence the day before was veteran rest, not injury.
Dolphins-Bills Thursday Injury Report pic.twitter.com/RMBBEdu0pW
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While some of his teammates get veteran rest days, Hill rarely takes days off. If he doesn’t practice, there’s usually a medical reason why.
That was certainly the case last week, when his participation in practice was limited Thursday and non-existent Friday.
Hill still had a full workload in the Dolphins’ Week 8 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He caught six passes for 72 yards and was on the field for 57 of a possible 65 snaps.
Is Hill Playing In Week 9?
Even if Hill’s foot is still sore, he likely will play Sunday given his high Week 8 participation rate, his history of playing through pain, and the Dolphins’ teetering playoff hopes.
Miami’s playoff hopes would all but vanish with a loss to the Bills in Week 9.
“Every man on the field, everybody’s has to play better,” Hill said after the Cardinals game. “And at the end of the day it’s got to mean something to you. It’s got to.”
How Might Hill’s Absence Impact the Miami Dolphins if Ruled Out?
While his numbers aren’t what they were in the last two seasons, Hill is still the heartbeat of a Dolphins passing game that showed hints of getting things figured out in Week 8.
Beyond Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Dolphins’ wide receiver room (which includes Odell Beckham Jr.) has seven catches for 71 yards in seven games.
Beckham has yet to catch a pass in three games since coming off the physically unable to perform list. But he said Wednesday that he feels healthy, explosive, and eager to make an impact.
“People always talk about receivers, and they’re like, ‘Oh, they’re divas’ and all that [expletive] that they say, and it’s like a receiver is the most selfless person on the field,” Beckham told reporters.
“First of all, you’ve got to wait for it to be a pass play, you’ve got to wait for the o-line to block and protect, you’ve got to wait for the quarterback to throw you the ball. There’s nothing that’s really in your control. You could be open 10 times in a game and never get the ball and get thrown to you once, and that might have been your only opportunity.”
The Dolphins could get a lift in Week 9 should River Cracraft return from IR. This week he was back on the practice field for the first time in two months. The Dolphins opened his window to return from injured reserve, but they will wait to see how his shoulder holds up in practice before making a Week 9 determination.