Tyreek Hill suffered one of the more gruesome knee injuries you’re going to see this past season with the Miami Dolphins. But that might have been a blessing in disguise for the speed demon.
Hill didn’t just tear his ACL, he dislocated his knee and tore multiple other ligaments in the joint. And yet, with modern medicine, Hill can pretty much be expected to make a full recovery in nine to 12 months.
He might not be able to reach the top speed he once did, but “Cheetah” had some pace to spare to be fair.
While a full recovery can be expected, it’s far from guaranteed. And it just so happens that the Dolphins have a potential out in 2026 to cut Hill without suffering much on the dead cap side of things.
Hill was one of a few star players who landed on Over The Cap’s Top 100 Possible Cut Candidates list for the 2026 offseason. It’s calculated using OTC’s “OTC Valuation Above Starter Median” metric, which you can learn more about here.
Hill was ranked 13th, which basically means that the Dolphins have a lot of incentive to release him without any fuss when the new league year begins in March, when Hill will be a freshly-minted 32-year-old. And as we know, that’s exactly what Hill wants.
Tyreek Hill’s release will likely precipitate a reunion with the Chiefs
Since at least the 2024 season, Hill has been pushing for a way out of South Beach. He has flip-flopped back and forth with his support of the organization. But he has indicated or intimated on multiple occasions that he wants out. He essentially said so in the locker room after Week 18 of the 2024 season, though not in so many words.
Apart from cryptically hinting at his departure from Miami, the thing Hill has been doing most often on social media over the last year is interact with Chiefs fans and social media posts.
Hill had his two best seasons as an individual with the Dolphins, posting 1,700+ receiving yards in 2022 and 2023. But he had by far his most team success with the Chiefs, winning a Super Bowl in 2019 and going to four straight AFC Championships.
After two down years with the Dolphins, it makes sense that Hill would start to wax poetic about “the good ol’ days”.
The franchise he’s with now just entered into a major rebuild after firing both GM and HC. The new direction will likely center on dynamo running back De’Von Achane. Meanwhile, Hill just entered the twilight of his career.
Those two things just don’t jive. And the Chiefs will return to contention very soon, there is little doubt of that. But they need to retool.
Travis Kelce might be retiring and the receiving corps lacks a veteran. Not to mention they will likely also be in need of a new WR1 considering Rashee Rice is (and should) be headed for a major punishment after the latest news on a domestic violence case involving the wide receiver.
Tyreek Hill is certainly not much better than Rice—he has had his off-field issues too—but he is not dealing with one currently. And in the NFL, for good or ill, sometimes that’s all that matters.