The Miami Dolphins may have no choice but to move on from Tyreek Hill.
The wide receiver — who has been a team captain in each of his three seasons with the team — quit in the second half of the team’s Week 18 game. While the receiver initially told reporters that coaches pulled him from the game, when he was asked why, Hill said that it was due to the Broncos’ insurmountable lead against the Chiefs.
“I was informed that he was unavailable right before a drive,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. “I was not informed that it was a new injury, and I think at that point of time my focus was on the players and I didn’t take the time to go and try and figure out more into that.”
Hill, 30, also told reporters that he’s “opening the door” to leave the Dolphins. But that might not be an easy move for the team to pull off, even if it’s ready to be done with the receiver.
What it would cost to part with Tyreek Hill
After reworking Hill’s deal in August, the receiver is due to count $27.7 million against the Dolphins’ salary cap next season and $51.9 million in 2026. Cutting the eight-time Pro Bowler will only make the team’s tenuous cap situation next season even worse.
Releasing Hill would launch the receiver’s salary cap hit from $27.7 million to $55.9 million in dead money. That’s an additional $28.2 million in cap liabilities.
A post-June 1 release of Hill would make it $40.3 million in dead money, which is still an additional $12.7 million.
The more realistic and financially sound move is a trade that sends Hill out of town, but even that isn’t so straightforward. If the Dolphins traded the receiver before the start of June, they’d eat $28.3 million in dead money. By waiting until the summer, Miami could finally find a way to recoup some money — knocking $15 million off Hill’s salary cap charge, and dropping the dead money to $12.7 million.
Perhaps a restructured deal could get done to a facilitate a trade. But for now, it seems the Dolphins’ only good move (assuming they don’t iron things out with the receiver) is to wait until June or beyond to trade Hill elsewhere.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]