Wide receiver Tyreek Hill seems eager to stay with the Miami Dolphins even though he subbed himself out of Miami’s regular-season finale against the New York Jets on Jan. 5 and later told reporters he was “out.”
For a piece published Monday, NFL analyst Bill Barnwell of ESPN shared whether or not he thinks the Dolphins could trade Hill before Week 1 of the 2025 season arrives.
“The 30-year-old is due $28.7M in 2025, with just under $27M of that money guaranteed, but the only amount due in March is a $1M roster bonus,” Barnwell said about Hill. “…Hill is probably worth more to the Dolphins than he is to any other team, given how heavily they rely on their receivers to create big plays after the catch. And the fact that he backpedaled on his comments following the Week 18 loss to the Jets suggests he wants to stay with the Dolphins. Given his guaranteed salary, the most likely scenario is that he sticks around in Miami, at least for one more year.”
Barnwell was referencing how Hill publicly apologized to Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and other teammates during a Super Bowl week media appearance. On paper, the Dolphins’ offense would be better with Hill than without him this coming September even if the veteran has lost a step or two.
According to ESPN stats, Hill led the 2024 Dolphins with 123 targets and 959 receiving yards. He was second on the team with 81 catches and tied for second with six touchdown catches.
Before Hill spoke on Super Bowl Radio Row, stories linked him with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers. Barnwell noted that the Dolphins don’t necessarily have to be in a hurry to make a final decision about Hill and could instead wait to see how he feels about the state of the club this summer.
“While Hill is owed a $10M base salary and a $15M option bonus, the latter doesn’t need to be paid until Aug. 31, meaning the Dolphins could unload that $25M on another team if they trade away Hill before the start of September,” Barnwell wrote. “The trade would free up about $400,000 in cap space if it occurs before June 1 and just under $16M if it occurs after June 1. Miami wouldn’t realize much in the way of cap savings, but it would be the franchise’s way to move on from him before a potentially bad situation gets worse.”
The Steelers pursued offensive playmakers from last March up until the in-season trade deadline this past November. Theoretically, they could take a flier on Hill in August if he decides at that time he’s no longer all-in on playing for the Dolphins.
This content was brought to you by: Yardbarker: NFL
