Zach BacharContributor IJanuary 6, 2025
- Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
- The Miami Dolphins were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday, as star wide receiver Tyreek Hill appeared to hint at his time with the team coming to a close.
- “It was great playing here, but at the end of the day, I gotta do what’s best for my career, because I’m too much of a competitor to be just out there,” Hill told reporters after his team’s 32-20 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday.
Omar Kelly @OmarKelly
Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill basically said he wanted out of the Dolphins organization after the game. <a href=”https://t.co/gIiMv7Edaf”>pic.twitter.com/gIiMv7Edaf</a>
- The 30-year-old also thanked Dolphins fans on social media, seemingly indicating that he doesn’t envision a return to Miami in 2025.
Ty Hill @cheetah
Love fin nation blessing yall opened doors for the Hill family forever nothing ,but respect and love
- The eight-time Pro Bowl receiver wrapped up a disappointing 2024 campaign relative to expectations, failing to surpass 1,000 yards for the first time since 2019. Hill finished with 81 receptions for 959 yards and six touchdowns, appearing in all 17 regular-season contests.
- His trade value should still be high despite the relatively underwhelming year, as he led the NFL with 1,799 receiving yards and 13 touchdown catches in 2023.
- Hill’s potential exit from the Dolphins is surprising after both sides agreed to a restructured three-year, $90 million contract in Aug. 2024 that kept him signed through the 2026 season. Miami failing to advance beyond the wild-card round of the playoffs in all three of his years with the team likely impacted his desire to depart.
- As Hill appears to be headed towards a change of scenery, here are some potential future destinations.
- Kathryn Riley/Getty Images
- After spending the first six years of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, Hill could receive trade interest from a different AFC West team.
- The Los Angeles Chargers are preparing for the playoffs as the No. 5 seed in the conference after bouncing back under head coach Jim Harbaugh in 2024, ending the regular season with a record of 11-6.
- The Chargers’ turnaround was helped by a strong defense, allowing just 17.6 points per game while racking up 46 sacks.
- Justin Herbert wasn’t tasked with as large of a role in Los Angeles’ offense compared to past years, but he remained efficient in the pocket. He completed 65.9 percent of his throws for 3,870 yards and 23 touchdowns compared to a mere three interceptions.
- Still, his average of 227.6 yards per game through the air was a career-low mark.
- Rookie receiver Ladd McConkey immediately proved to be a key contributor in the Chargers’ passing attack, and the opportunity to pair him with a playoff-experienced veteran such as Hill could help Los Angeles establish itself as a Super Bowl contender if the team can’t make it to the title game this season.
- The Chargers should have no issue absorbing Hill’s salary, as they’ll have $74.4 million in 2025 cap space (via Spotrac).
- If Los Angeles wants to bolster its weapons surrounding Herbert, Hill is an intriguing candidate.
- AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post
- After clinching a playoff spot for the first time since the 2015 season, the Denver Broncos could rise to contending status by acquiring Hill.
- Bo Nix exceeded expectations throughout his rookie year, passing for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns to go along with 12 interceptions.
- Nix was able to stay effective despite the lack of a deep receiver room, as Courtland Sutton was the only player on Denver’s roster to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards. Marvin Mims, the Broncos’ second-leading receiver, ended the year with 503 yards.
- If Denver wants to compete with the Chiefs for the No. 1 spot in the division moving forward, acquiring a speedy option such as Hill to take the top off opposing defenses would help.
- The Broncos also have just under $60 million in cap flexibility to work with during the offseason.
- It’s not difficult to argue that Denver already boasts a championship-caliber defense, featuring standouts such as outside linebacker Nik Bonitto and cornerback Patrick Surtain II. The Broncos allowed just 19.4 points per game heading into a matchup with a Chiefs team featuring backups on Sunday, holding them scoreless in a 38-0 win.
- If Denver’s offense struggles to consistently sustain drives during its upcoming playoff appearance, the team could target Hill on the trade market.
- Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
- Similar to the Broncos, the Washington Commanders make sense as a possible destination for Hill after blowing past expectations with a rookie starting under center in 2024.
- Jayden Daniels made plays with his arm as well as his legs throughout the year, completing 69 percent of his throws for 3,568 yards. He racked up 891 yards on the ground, ending his inaugural regular season by recording 31 total touchdowns and helping Washington make the playoffs with a 12-5 record.
- Terry McLaurin was Daniels’ top target this season, as the Pro Bowl wideout surpassed the 1,000-yard threshold for the fifth consecutive year.
- Washington hasn’t been able to find a consistent No. 2 wideout after trading Jahan Dotson prior to the start of the regular season, though. Veteran tight end Zach Ertz’s 654 yards represented the second-most receiving yards for the Commanders in 2024.
- The potential pairing of McLaurin and Hill would be one of the NFL’s most imposing duos, with both players forcing opposing secondaries to take their speed into account while giving Daniels more room to scramble when needed.
- Acquiring the salary of the Dolphins receiver shouldn’t be an issue, as Washington boasts the third-most cap space in the NFL this offseason at $102.5 million (via Spotrac).
- After reaching double-digit wins in the regular season for the first time since 2012, the Commanders could build on their momentum by making a blockbuster trade for Hill.
