Tyreek Hill Plans To Retire After Dolphins Contract Expires
Tyreek Hill does not plan to play beyond his current Dolphins contract. The All-Pro wide receiver, who inked a receiver-record extension with Miami upon being traded last year, said he plans to retire after his current deal expires.
The elite speed merchant’s $30MM-per-year deal runs through the 2026 season, though his guarantees only go through 2024. Hill is heading into his age-29 season.
“I’m going for 10, man,” Hill said during an appearance on Kansas City’s Sports Radio 810 (video link). “I’m going to finish out this contract with the Dolphins, man, and then I’m going to call it quits. I want to go into the business side. I want to do so many things in my life, bro.”
Hill playing out his Dolphins contract would complete an 11-year career and take him through his age-32 season. Planning a retirement four years down the road is obviously not the same as a true announcement, and it will be interesting to see if Hill pursues another contract as younger receivers pass him in value. Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase will likely seek to top Hill’s four-year, $120MM Dolphins extension, and Jaylen Waddle‘s contract ask might not be too far off Hill’s $30MM AAV. It should not be expected Hill plays the 2026 season on his current contract. The already-backloaded deal now includes a restructure, which inflated Hill’s 2026 cap number to $56.3MM.
Coming into the league as a fifth-round pick due to a domestic violence arrest that led to his dismissal from Oklahoma State, Hill has crafted a Hall of Fame-caliber career from that late-round draft slot. The former Chiefs draftee now has three first-team All-Pro nods as a receiver (and one as a return man), notching No. 3 with Miami last season. Hill made a major difference for the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa development, totaling a career-high 1,710 receiving yards and adding seven touchdown receptions in 2022. The Dolphins improved from 24th to seventh in offensive DVOA from 2021-22.
The Dolphins traded five draft choices, including a 2022 first-round pick, to acquire Hill last year. Hill had begun negotiations on a second Chiefs extension last year, but Davante Adams‘ $28MM-per-year Raiders pact led to Hill’s price rising and Kansas City changing course. The Chiefs gave Hill permission to speak with teams, and a Jets-Dolphins faceoff occurred. Hill preferred Miami. The Chiefs did not replace Hill with a comparable wide receiver (few of those exist) but went on to win Super Bowl LVII after bringing in JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency.
Miami has Waddle signed through 2024, but that deal will likely run through 2025 once the team picks up the ascending talent’s fifth-year option. For the foreseeable future, the Dolphins figure to deploy one of the NFL’s premier receiving tandems. But Hill’s comments do not point to him being around too far into Tagovailoa’s prime, should the Dolphins eventually extend their southpaw passer.
AFC East Notes: Jets, Allen, Dolphins
The Jets have been most closely linked to Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason, but like Aaron Rodgers, the talented wide receiver is not yet with the team. Beckham may well be waiting on the Rodgers trade to be finalized, though other teams — including the Ravens — have made offers. The Jets are interested at the right price, per the New York Post’s Brian Costello, who adds an OBJ signing likely means a Corey Davis release.
With the Jets adding Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman to the mix and continuing to pursue Beckham, Davis has hovered around the chopping block for weeks. The Jets can save $10.5MM by releasing the former top-five pick even if they do not designate him as a post-June 1 cut. If Beckham signs elsewhere, it would be interesting to see how the Jets navigate the Davis matter. The team has traded Elijah Moore, removing a potentially promising weapon from its receiver stable, and Hardman displayed inconsistency during his rookie-deal Chiefs years. Davis, however, has not topped 550 yards in a season as a Jet. His three-year, $37.5MM deal calls for an $11.6MM 2023 cap number.
Here is the latest from the AFC East:
- Georgia tackle Broderick Jones is visiting the Jets on Wednesday, and this high-profile position seems like a logical move for Gang Green at No. 13 overall. Now that it seems that pick is off the table in Rodgers negotiations, the Jets can devote it to a need area to complement their apparent QB-in-waiting. But the team discussed a deal with Orlando Brown Jr., Costello adds. The Steelers joined the Jets in being connected to Brown during his time on the market, but the Bengals came in with a frontloaded deal (four years, $64MM; $42.4MM due by 2024) to land the former Ravens and Chiefs Pro Bowler. The Jets have major questions at both tackle spots, with Duane Brown going into an age-38 season and Mekhi Becton having played one game in two years. Multiyear starter George Fant remains a free agent.
- Josh Allen handled a career-high 124 rushing attempts last season, and the superstar Bills quarterback logged 122 in 2021. The 237-pound QB has operated as Buffalo’s go-to rushing option, but Sean McDermott would like to see his centerpiece player adjust his style of play. That likely means limiting the hits he takes as a runner, as NFL.com’s Judy Battista noted the five-year veteran has been tackled on 66% of his downfield runs (Twitter links). In an effort to prioritize Allen’s health and extend his career, it would be in the Bills’ best interest to curtail his run-game aggressiveness. Allen has, however, topped 700 rushing yards in each of the past two seasons; only he, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts have done that over the past two seasons. It will be interesting to see how the Bills go about creating a delicate balance here.
- The Dolphins recently extended Durham Smythe through 2025, but Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes the team will be expected to draft at least one tight end. Per an agent representing one of this year’s top free agent tight ends, the Dolphins did not want to spend much on the position. Seeing as Mike Gesicki saw his role significantly reduced in Mike McDaniel‘s first year as HC, that makes sense. But after losing Gesicki and Hunter Long (included in the Jalen Ramsey trade), Miami will need to make at least one addition here.
Dolphins Extend TE Durham Smythe
After losing Mike Gesicki in free agency and including Hunter Long in the Jalen Ramsey trade, the Dolphins will prioritize one of their own tight ends. They reached an extension agreement with Durham Smythe on Monday.
The Dolphins are re-upping Smythe on a two-year, $7.75MM deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets, adding that this agreement comes with $5.5MM guaranteed at signing. Smythe, 27, is now signed through 2025.
A 2018 fourth-round pick, Smythe has been with the Dolphins throughout his pro career. This extension is similar to the pact he inked last year — a two-year, $7MM accord — but Pelissero adds this one will bump his 2023 pay to $4.5MM. Smythe’s guarantees in his third NFL contract also surpass those in his second ($3.5MM). The Dolphins will undoubtedly add at the tight end position later this offseason, but Smythe’s role may well expand due to Gesicki and Long’s relocations.
Miami selected Smythe two rounds after taking Gesicki five years ago, and the former has proven a better fit in Mike McDaniel‘s offense. Although Gesicki played all 17 regular-season games, Smythe played nearly 100 more offensive snaps. The Notre Dame alum was on the field for 557 of Miami’s offensive plays in 2022, topping Gesicki’s 478. Smythe managed that total despite missing a game.
Like Gesicki, Smythe saw his receiving numbers drop in McDaniel’s offense. He caught 34 passes for 357 yards in 2021 but tallied just 15 catches for 129 yards last season. Pro Football Focus, however, graded Smythe as a top-15 run-blocking tight end. The Dolphins are bringing back their entire backfield, having re-signed Jeff Wilson, Raheem Mostert and Myles Gaskin in March. Smythe will be tasked with helping this trio again in 2023 and stands to be a part of assisting future Miami rushing attacks.
The Dolphins have Smythe, the recently signed Eric Saubert, and 2022 UDFA Tanner Conner on their roster at tight end. Although an early-round addition should not be ruled out, Smythe will be a key part of McDaniel’s second Dolphins offense.
Dolphins Willing To Trade WR Cedrick Wilson
The Dolphins enjoyed considerable production from their top receiver duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle last season, but no other pass-catchers made nearly as large of a contribution as those two. Miami’s group of secondary receivers includes Cedrick Wilson, but that may not be the case for long. 
The Dolphins are open to trading Wilson, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Such a move would yield a notable financial benefit, regardless of when it took place. Dealing the 27-year-old before June 1 would result in $7MM in cap savings, while doing so after that date would save $6MM. Wilson is set to count $8MM against the cap in 2023, the second year of the contract he signed last offseason to head to South Beach.
That $22.8MM pact came after the former sixth-rounder comfortably set new career-highs across the board in his final campaign with the Cowboys. Wilson recorded 602 yards and six touchdowns on 45 receptions in 2021, proving himself to be a valuable contributor in Dallas’ high-volume passing attack. That elevated expectations for him upon arrival in Miami, even with the team’s blockbuster trade to acquire Hill.
However, Wilson had his least productive season since 2019, totaling only 12 catches and 136 scoreless yards. His playing time took a significant step back compared to the year before, seeing the field for only 26% of offensive snaps. That made the Boise State alum one of several complimentary wideouts to put up underwhelming numbers behind the massive production (3,066 combined yards) of Hill and Waddle. The Dolphins’ next-leading receiver was Trent Sherfield, who posted 417 yards.
Despite the cap savings a trade would yield, Jackson adds that the Dolphins are also open to retaining Wilson. Miami currently has less than $2MM in cap space, putting them 31st in the league in that regard. A release in this case would result in considerable dead money, so that avenue is not an expected outcome. A rebound on Wilson’s part in 2023 could make it worthwhile to hold on to him, though the Dolphins have replacement options such as recent signing Braxton Berrios in place as well.
AFC Coaching Updates: Dolphins, Ravens, Titans, Jets, Patriots
The Dolphins announced that they had finalized their 2023 coaching staff three weeks ago. We have reported this offseason on most of the major changes, but here are a few included in their announcement that are new.
On the offensive side of the ball, there were some updates to the team’s assistants. Ricardo Allen moved on to coaching shortly after retirement last year, taking a role as the Dolphins special teams assistant. This year, Allen has moved to the offensive assistant position. Another new offensive assistant, Mike Judge returns to a coaching role after spending some time in the personnel department. Miami will also give former NFL wideout Max McCaffrey his first NFL coaching position. McCaffrey will serve as an offensive assistant after time coaching wide receivers at Northern Colorado.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Dolphins hired Steve Donatell. The son of former Vikings defensive coordinator Ed Donatell worked under his father last year and will serve as a defensive assistant with Miami. Lastly, the team has promoted Ryan Slowik, who served as a senior defensive assistant in 2022. In 2023, Slowik will be the Dolphins outside linebackers coach.
Here are a few other coaching updates from around the conference:
- With Tee Martin moving to quarterbacks coach, the Ravens hired former Chiefs running backs coach Greg Lewis to fill the wide receivers coaching position, according to the team’s Twitter account. Lewis coached the position in Kansas City for four seasons before moving to running backs.
- Leaving Baltimore will be former safety Anthony Levine, according to ESPN’s Turron Davenport. Levine had reportedly taken up a role with the Ravens as a scouting and coaching assistant after retiring but will now accept a role with the Titans as a special teams assistant. Tennessee will also bring on Tom Quinn as a special teams assistant and Matt Jones as an offensive line assistant.
- The Jets have hired Shaq Wilson to fill their assistant defensive line coaching role, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. Former assistant defensive line coach Greg Scruggs became the defensive line coach at Wisconsin, so New York went to the college ranks that took him away to find Wilson at South Carolina.
- The Patriots have also added a former college staffer in Keith Jones, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN. The former Arkansas assistant spent time with New England during the 2022 training camp as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship. Jones, who mostly worked with the Patriots’ defensive line, will be a coaching assistant in New England.
Dolphins Inquired On Vikings’ Dalvin Cook
Mike McDaniel coached both Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson in San Francisco and Miami, and the second-year Dolphins HC opted to bring back both veterans to ensure continuity. The re-signings, however, came after the Dolphins discussed what would have been a splashier addition.
The Dolphins reached out to the Vikings on Dalvin Cook, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. Uncertainty swirled about the Miami native’s Minnesota future earlier this month, and the Vikings re-signed longtime backup Alexander Mattison to a deal worth more than what the Dolphins gave their returning backs.
Mattison stayed in Minnesota on what turned out to be a nice contract, considering where this running back market went. The Vikes gave their four-year backup a two-year, $7MM accord that features $6.35MM fully guaranteed. In terms of full guarantees, only Miles Sanders, David Montgomery and Jamaal Williams topped Mattison this offseason. Mattison was previously rumored to not be in Minnesota’s post-2022 plans. His second Vikings contract invites more speculation about the team’s intentions with Cook.
At the Combine, Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stopped short of guaranteeing Cook would be back for a seventh season. That put the Pro Bowl talent, who is tied to a $12.6MM-per-year contract, on ground similar to Joe Mixon; the Bengals are not yet certain to trot out Cook’s draft-class peer for a seventh season. Multiple teams believed the Vikings entertained the prospect of a Cook trade just before free agency. The Dolphins look to be one of them.
Miami brought back Wilson — a 2022 trade acquisition — on a two-year, $6MM deal that includes $2.6MM guaranteed and kept Mostert for two years and $5.8MM ($2.2MM guaranteed). This will be a more economical backfield path for the Dolphins, who also re-signed third-stringer Myles Gaskin, though Cook obviously offers a higher ceiling. The Dolphins have made big-ticket additions since McDaniel arrived, trading for Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb and Jalen Ramsey. A Cook move would have been in step with these acquisitions, but the contracts the Dolphins gave the standout talents have crowded their payroll a bit.
Cook, 27, has topped 1,100 rushing yards in each of the past four seasons; he exceeded 1,450 scrimmage yards in each of those slates as well. Only Derrick Henry‘s 6,914 scrimmage yards tops Cook’s total (6,423) since 2019. Cook has reached these heights despite nagging injuries — most notably a broken shoulder that led to surgery earlier this offseason — that kept him off the field for eight games from 2019-21. In 2022, however, Cook did not miss a game. He did average a career-low 4.4 yards per carry, on the second-most totes of his career (264), but was obviously instrumental in the Vikes’ runaway NFC North championship.
A Cook transaction before the draft will be worth monitoring, and a move once he recovers from his shoulder surgery later in the offseason will as well. However, Austin Ekeler — who requested a trade due to his below-market Chargers contract — is not believed to have generated too much interest. The Vikings have Cook on a $10.4MM base salary this season. The Dolphins will have Wilson and Mostert rostered at barely $2MM combined.
Latest On Brian Flores Lawsuit
March has been dominated by the flurry of free agent moves taking place around the league, but it has also seen an important development in the ongoing lawsuit led by Brian Flores. The ex-Dolphins head coach saw mixed results in a ruling on the matter of arbitration being used to settle his claims against the league and a number of its teams. 
A federal judge in Manhattan ruled that Flores can pursue his racial discrimination suit against the NFL and the Broncos, Giants and Texans in open court, as detailed by Larry Neumeister of the Associated Press. The NFL had attempted to keep the matter an internal one, and handle Flores’ claims through arbitration.
That will be the route taken to determine his case against the Dolphins, however. The same is also true of co-plaintiffs Steve Wilks and Ray Horton, who joined the suit last April. The latter two added complaints against the Cardinals and Titans, respectively, for decisions affecting them in the past. Wilks argued in the suit that Arizona hired him in 2018 as a “bridge coach” with no long-term prospects of retaining the position. Horton has alleged that Tennessee conducted a “sham” head coaching interview with him in 2016.
Per the judge’s ruling, Wilks’ and Horton’s claims (as well as Flores’ outstanding ones against the Dolphins) will be handled through arbitration owing to their respective contractual statuses at the time the alleged malpractices took place. In a statement, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league will “move promptly with arbitrations… and seek to dismiss the remaining claims.”
He added, however, that the NFL “recognize[s] there is more work to be done” on the matter of diversity and inclusion. The judge’s decision was based in part on her concern about the hiring practices in the league, and added that this case has shined “an unflattering spotlight” on the NFL in this regard. Flores, who drew head coaching interest from the Cardinals before being hired as defensive coordinator of the Vikings, is now clear to test most of his claims in front of a jury.
No decision has been announced regarding whether or not NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will personally oversee the arbitration cases. It is expected he will do so, although the judge also noted she will have the authority to review his findings if he does not delegate to another member of the league. With a path now cleared to have elements of this case heard in open court, it will remain a storyline to watch in the near future.
Contract Details: Johnson, Penny, White, Okoronkwo, Lewis
Here are some more contract details on deals recently reached around the NFL:
- Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, DE (Browns): Three years, $19MM. The deal, according to Wilson, includes a guaranteed amount of $12.49MM, $10.83MM of which is guaranteed at signing. That $10.83MM consists of a $5.5MM signing bonus, Okoronkwo’s 2023 base salary of $1.08MM, and his 2024 option bonus of $4.25MM. The remaining $1.66MM of guaranteed money is Okoronkwo’s 2024 base salary, which becomes fully guaranteed on the third league day of the 2024 league year. He also can receive a 2025 option bonus of $3.23MM. The deal includes a $3MM sack incentive and an All-Pro base salary escalator. The team built a potential out into the deal that allows them to release Okoronkwo after 2024 with $6.7MM of dead money but $17.45MM of cap savings over the following five years, four of which are void years in the contract.
- Mike White, QB (Dolphins): Two years, $8MM. The contract, according to Doug Kyed of AtoZ Sports, includes a guaranteed amount of $4.5MM consisting of a $3.42MM signing bonus and White’s first year base salary of $1.08MM. His second year base salary is worth $3.5MM. The deal includes up to $4MM apiece in playing time and team achievement incentives that up the contract’s maximum value to $16MM.
- Danny Johnson, CB (Commanders): Two years, $5MM. The contract, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, includes a guaranteed amount of $2.75MM consisting of a $1.75MM signing bonus and $1MM of Johnson’s first year base salary (worth $1.25MM total). His second year base salary is worth $1.49MM. The deal includes a $1MM annual playing time incentive and a per game active roster bonus of $15,000 for a potential season total of $255,000.
- Tyquan Lewis, DE (Colts): One year, $2.1MM. The deal, according to Wilson, includes a guaranteed amount of $500,000 from the base salary worth a total of $1.08MM. The contract includes incentives worth up to $1.25MM for sacks, playing time, and playoffs, as well as a per game active roster bonus of $60,000 for a potential season total of $1.02MM.
- Rashaad Penny, RB (Eagles): One year, $1.35MM. The deal, according to Wilson, has a guaranteed amount of $600,000 composed of a $100,000 signing bonus and $500,000 of the base salary (worth $1.08MM total). The deal includes a rushing yards incentive worth up to $750,000 and a per game active roster bonus of $10,000 for a potential season total of $170,000.
Dolphins Re-Sign CB Justin Bethel
The Dolphins are bringing back some secondary depth and a key special teamer in cornerback Justin Bethel, according to the team’s official Twitter account. The veteran defensive back had largely been relegated to special teams but found new life on defense with the Dolphins last year. 
After a long opening tenure in Arizona, Bethel has bounced around from the Falcons to the Ravens to the Patriots before finally landing with the Dolphins last year. Although he used to get many more defensive playing opportunities early in his career, Bethel was always known as a special teams savant. In his second, third, and fourth seasons, Bethel made three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances as a special-teamer.
As he moved on from the Cardinals, and as time went on, Bethel’s snap count on defense grew smaller and smaller. 2022 saw a resurgence for the 32-year-old as the Dolphins allowed Bethel more playing time on defense than he had seen in the previous four years combined, since his time in Arizona. Bethel wasn’t the team’s best defender but delivered as a depth option, totaling one interception and four passes defensed.
Miami now boasts two stars at the cornerback position and retained many of their talented backup pieces, as well. Bethel’s role projects to be similar in 2023 as it was last year. With the added talent at the position, he may not be required as much on defense, but he provides the Dolphins with veteran depth and his usual stellar special teams play.
AFC East Notes: Ramsey, Patriots, Hardman
A year after acquiring Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb via trade, the Dolphins added another standout in Jalen Ramsey. Miami became a destination for Ramsey, whom Albert Breer of SI.com notes had zeroed in on landing with the AFC East club. Sean McVay met with Ramsey in January and informed him the Rams would explore trade options, mentioning the team would explore a deal as a way to restock its draft capital and reduce costs. Rams GM Les Snead called teams two weeks before the Combine to gauge interest, and after Dolphins GM Chris Grier confirmed his team might be, Vic Fangio provided a positive opinion of Ramsey’s place in his defense.
After Ramsey’s agent informed him about a Miami deal, the All-Pro cornerback instructed his representative to make sure he ended up there. The Rams may not have traded Ramsey to the Dolphins just because he wanted to be there, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic tweets, but they did want him out of the NFC. Snead’s price point was initially too high for the Dolphins, per Breer, but the sides settled on a package of a third-round pick and tight end Hunter Long. A far cry from what the Rams sent the Jaguars for Ramsey in 2019 — two first-round picks and a fourth — but the Dolphins now have the eighth-year veteran on the roster and have since adjusted his contract.
Here is the latest from the AFC East:
- The Patriots discussed DeAndre Hopkins with the Cardinals early this offseason, per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, but they backed off due to Arizona’s ask (subscription required). The Cardinals are rumored to be seeking a second-round pick and change here. The NFC West team is not expected to land that, as Howe adds other teams believe the Cards want to dump Hopkins’ salary ($19.45MM in 2023). The Bills and Chiefs are now the closest links to the former All-Pro wideout.
- Mecole Hardman committed to the Jets after Aaron Rodgers indicated he wanted to be traded to New York, but the ex-Chiefs wideout said (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini) the four-time MVP’s intentions did not affect his decision. While it would seem that would have at least moved the needle a bit — compared to a world in which Zach Wilson was on track for a third QB1 Jets season, at least — Hardman said he was excited to play with Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard. Hardman added (via the New York Post’s Brian Costello) the Jets showed interest throughout his free agency, which ended with a one-year deal worth up to $6.5MM. Hardman did not elaborate on a Chiefs offer to bring him back, but he seemed to confirm the defending champions’ previously reported plan to move on.
- A faction of the Patriots‘ locker room voiced support for Bailey Zappe during last season’s brief QB controversy, Devin McCourty confirmed during a WEEI interview (via ESPN’s Mike Reiss). “It was just a back and forth, which to me, spoke more about what we had on offense than the quarterback,” McCourty said. “We never were solidified as an offensive group that guys had full confidence in anything we were doing. There was never true hope.” The Pats, who regressed on offense in 2022, have since rehired Bill O’Brien as OC. While Mac Jones won his job back amid a dysfunctional season, the Pats will give Zappe a chance to push him this year.
- The incentives in Mike Gesicki‘s one-year, $4.5MM Patriots contract include $300K bumps starting at the 40-reception mark, Doug Kyed of AtoZSports.com tweets. Gesicki could collect $1.2MM if he reaches 70 catches in 2023. There are also up to $1.2MM in available yardage incentives, with that escalator package starting at 450 yards and ending at 750. Playing-time incentives are also included in the package.
- Up to $4MM in incentives are present in Riley Reiff‘s one-year, $5MM deal. He will earn $800K by playing 53% of the Pats’ offensive snaps, per Kyed (on Twitter). These figures decrease the higher the snap rate goes, but Reiff can earn all $4.5MM by reaching an 80% snap rate.