Shortly after Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill suffered a severe, season-ending knee injury in Week 4, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, indicated his client would seek to continue his playing career in 2026. The player himself seems less certain.
Hill, 31, recently appeared on the podcast hosted by Terron Armstead, his former Miami teammate. During the interview, Hill suggested he may not return to the field.
“At the end of the day, I feel like that decision [to continue playing or not] is based upon how I feel and where my mindset is at the moment,” Hill said (via the Associated Press). “I’m happy with the career that I’ve had. I love playing football. I love it, but it takes a lot. It takes a lot on you mentally, it takes a lot on you physically.”
Before the injury, Hill’s contract situation and the Dolphins’ status as presumptive deadline sellers made the eight-time Pro Bowler an obvious trade candidate, though a new round of domestic violence allegations complicated his value. Even if he remained healthy and stayed on Miami’s roster beyond the deadline, he was likely to be released in the offseason.
A post-injury report confirmed the Dolphins are expected to move on from Hill before the third day of the 2026 league year, at which point $11MM of his $29.9MM salary will become guaranteed, along with a $5MM roster bonus. Assuming Miami does cut bait, Hill’s free agent stock – should he be medically cleared and if he chooses to keep playing – will be undermined by his age, injury, and off-field baggage.
He did not offer a timeline as to when he will make his decision.
“I’m at the point now where I need to have a conversation with mom, family, everybody,” he said. “Wherever my mind is at the time, the decision will be made, but I know right now, I haven’t had time to live in the moment. … I just want to be in this moment with my family. I don’t want to make any rash decisions.”
As part of a prolific, HOF-worthy on-field resume, Hill has amassed 11,363 receiving yards and 95 total touchdowns, including five scores during his early-career work as a return man. He has been similarly impressive in the postseason, recording 1,212 receiving yards and seven total TDs in 15 playoff games. He has also earned just shy of $150MM from his NFL contracts, and he secured a Super Bowl ring as part of the Chiefs’ 2020 squad.
In speaking about the knee injury he sustained this season, he said, “[w]hen I got tackled, I immediately tried to get up … I’d seen that my leg was crooked. I immediately started laughing because I’ve been able to play this game for 10 years, really my entire life, and I’ve been blessed with great talents and great gifts. The amount of support I get from my family, it’s amazing. So I really wasn’t even thinking about the injury. I was thinking about the great times I’ve had playing this game.”
This is a subtle reference to the fact that he’s rich as heck and doesn’t want to take a prove-it deal after his injury.
With all those child support payments, it may be a very short retirement.
Future mayor of Chicago?
Hill has no history of concussions so he would have to try to get elected somewhere else 🙂
I can’t imagine he set for retirement financially. Yes he’s made a lot of money but he’s also spawning children like a rabbit. Long term child support payments will be in the millions every year.
Also legal fees if he has to go to court for DV.
This is rude and subtly racist. Nice job Don.
Smart teams won’t take a chance paying him any more than the veteran minimum at his age and with that injury. Especially once they review the film from this year and see the decline in his performance even before he got hurt.
There’s also the way he ended the 2024 season walking out on his team.
Translation- I’ll be out there if the moneys right.
Why doesn’t PFR have a podcast? I could be a guest and explain how I get great support from my family when making tough decisions about how to spend the change I found in the sofa.