Tyreek Hill injury recovery time: What dislocated knee, torn ACL means for NFL career, future with Dolphins

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is facing a long road to recovery.

Early in the third quarter of the Dolphins' "Monday Night Football" date with the New York Jets, Hill sustained a knee injury so gruesome that the replay was only shown once on the broadcast. The diagnosis of Hill's injury confirmed that it was just as bad as it looked, if not worse, and Miami must complete the 2025 season without its top WR.

In addition to a dislocated knee, Hill suffered a series of torn ligaments that included his ACL. Those injuries are hard to recover from at any point, but especially difficult for a player in their 10th NFL season.

Hill's situation brings about more questions than answers, as the severity of his injuries casts doubt over his future with the Dolphins franchise. Here's what to know about Hill's injury and what he faces moving forward.

MORE: Tyreek Hill carted off with leg injury in Dolphins-Jets

Tyreek Hill injury details

Hill dislocated his left knee and tore his ACL and other ligaments in the knee. The full extent of the damage to Hill's knee has not been disclosed, but he will undergo surgery on Tuesday, Sept. 30, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The injury is season-ending, but the complexity of multiple ligaments being torn adds complication to Hill's recovery timeline.

Hill suffered the injury in the third quarter of Miami's Week 4 win over New York. After catching a pass, Hill was tackled on the sideline and remained on the ground as his leg was out of place due to the dislocation.

Training staff from both teams quickly tended to Hill, who was carted off the field. The broadcast showed Hill being rolled to an ambulance in a wheelchair while another member of the medical staff ensured his leg remained stabilized.

MORE: Timeline, return date for WR Tyreek Hill after leg injury vs. Jets

Torn ACL recovery time in NFL

Torn ACL recovery time in the NFL varies by player, but most return to competition by the time a year has passed from the injury. Hill's situation, however, is slightly different.

Because he suffered damage to other ligaments, Hill's injury could necessitate more than one surgery. Additional surgeries would likely alter the standard process of recovery and rehab, meaning the 12-month timeline may not be one to work from.

Hill's recovery time will largely depend on the extent of the damage to his other knee ligaments and how they will be repaired.

Tyreek Hill age

Hill is 31 years old. He was born on March 1, 1994.

With Hill missing the remainder of the 2025 season, the earliest he could return to the field would be at 32 years old in 2026. At the time of the injury, Hill had appeared in 145 games over 10 seasons.

Notable NFL players with torn ACLs

The ACL tear is an unfortunate injury, but not at all uncommon. Hill's other ligament damage makes one-for-one comparisons more difficult, but other players have also sustained ACL tears with additional ligament damage.

Hill's ACL injury came just one day after Giants star WR Malik Nabers sustained a season-ending ACL injury. Week 4 also saw Patriots WR Stefon Diggs notch 101 yards receiving in his fourth game back from a torn ACL sustained 11 months prior.

Here is a notable group of players, based on position and the extent of the injury.

MORE: How long will Giants WR Malik Nabers be out?

Stefon Diggs

Diggs went down with a torn ACL in Week 8 of the 2024 season, sustaining the injury on Oct. 27, 2024. He was 30 years old at the time of the injury.

He underwent season-ending surgery and began an extensive rehab process that saw him slowly ramp up his participation through training camp. After signing with the New England Patriots as a free agent, he returned to the field for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season on Sept. 7, 2025.

Diggs missed less than 11 months of action and caught six passes for 57 yards in his return.

Odell Beckham Jr.

Beckham first tore his left ACL in Week 7 of the 2020 season on Oct. 25, 2020. He returned to play 11 months later on Sept. 26, 2021, only to again tear his left ACL in Super Bowl 56 on Feb. 13, 2022.

Upon undergoing a second ACL surgery, Beckham was informed of complications and issues with the first operation. 

He missed the entirety of the 2022 season to continue to rehab and returned to the field in Week 1 of the 2023 season on Sept. 10, 2023. Beckham was days away from his 28th birthday at the time of his first tear, and the second tear came months after he turned 29.

His return came two months before he turned 31.

Nick Chubb

Chubb is notable in that he suffered ligament damage in addition to his torn ACL.

He went down with a gruesome knee injury in Week 2 of the 2023 NFL season, tearing his ACL, MCL and meniscus. The injuries required two surgeries and kept Chubb out through the first six weeks of the following season.

Chubb's return to the field came on Oct. 20, 2024, 13 months after his devastating injury.

Teddy Bridgewater

Bridgewater sustained a dislocated knee, torn ACL, and other structural damage on a non-contact play during practice on Aug. 30, 2016.

Based on designation, Bridgewater's injury has the most parallels to Hill's.

Bridgewater's injury was described as "grotesque," and he was given a 17-19 month recovery timeline. He missed the entirety of the 2016 season and did not return to the field for game action until Dec. 17, 2017 — nearly 16 months after the catastrophic injury.

Tyreek Hill contract

In 2024, Hill signed a three-year, $90 million restructured contract extension with the Dolphins, including $54 million guaranteed. The deal runs through the 2026 season, but does not contain any guaranteed salary for the final year, as outlined by Spotrac and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

For the current season, Hill will miss out on $1.4 million of per-game active roster bonuses. Hill's base salary for 2026 is $29.9 million, but only $11.0 million becomes guaranteed if he is still on the roster in March, plus an additional $5.0 million roster bonus.

Miami would owe Hill no more money if it elects to release him before March.

With surgery today, it’s possible that Tyreek Hill will undergo additional surgeries. There is no guarantee he’ll be ready for 2026.

None of his 2026 salary is guaranteed now, but $11M (of $29.9M) becomes fully guaranteed if he’s on the roster in March, plus a $5M roster bonus. https://t.co/E9WkfEjzPA

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 30, 2025 

All figures via Spotrac.