Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is working to rebuild trust with his teammates this offseason after controversial comments he made at the end of the 2024 season.
Hill removed himself from Miami’s final regular-season match against the New York Jets and told reporters afterwards that he would be open to playing elsewhere. Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said Hill never asked for a trade, and Hill apologised for the remarks in February.
Speaking after Miami’s first training session of the new season, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said repairing relationships is not easy but believes Hill is putting in the effort.
“It is not just with me, it is with a lot of the guys. Everyone heard what he said. When you say something like that, you cannot just come back and say ‘sorry’. You have to earn that trust again,” Tagovailoa said. “Everyone makes mistakes. When you are in the spotlight, those mistakes are magnified. He is working on himself and I respect that.”
Hill endured a frustrating 2024 campaign. He finished with 959 receiving yards and six touchdowns from 81 catches, a significant drop from the two 1 700-yard seasons he produced in his first two years with Miami. The Dolphins missed the playoffs for the first time since Hill entered the NFL nine years ago.
The three-time team captain has said he will need to earn back his leadership role this year and that it is up to his teammates to decide if he deserves it. Tagovailoa added that Hill has made progress off the field.
“There is more vulnerability with Tyreek. He is speaking more with the guys, not just about football but about life. He is opening up about personal things, which is helping him build real connections,” Tagovailoa said. “Everyone knows his ability on the field, but he is still figuring things out as a person. We love him as a teammate and as a person too.”
Hill has said he wants to focus only on football and his family this year, cutting out distractions.
“This entire offseason I have been grafting,” Hill said. “I want to see what happens when I put all my focus into football. I do not think I have ever given the absolute best version of myself. I am slowing things down, training hard and putting everything into this team. I want to see what that version of Tyreek Hill looks like.”
Photo: Megan Briggs/Getty Images
