Dolphins, Tyreek Hill Agree To Reworked Contract
AUGUST 5: Detailing the structure of the new deal, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talks notes Hill will receive a raise of $11.4MM over 2024 and ’25 compared to the previous arrangement. His up front compensation includes a $7MM signing bonus and guaranteed salaries and roster bonuses for the next two seasons. Hill can receive up $2.8MM in per-game roster bonuses during that span along with annual playing time and team postseason win incentives up to $500K.
2026 calls for $36MM in compensation, though none of it is locked in at signing. $11MM of that total will become guaranteed in 2026, but until then team and player will move forward with a revised short-term pact.
AUGUST 3: After a number of top wideouts earned lucrative extensions this offseason, Tyreek Hill was secured his pay day. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Dolphins have reached an agreement with their star wide receiver on a restructured contract worth $90MM over the next three years. 
The deal includes $65MM in guaranteed money, and the restructuring will only cover the three years that were already remaining on Hill’s contract (so no new years were added). When combined with his 2023 guarantees, Hill’s $106.5MM in guaranteed money is the most by a wideout over a four-year stretch, per Schefter. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes that Hill also made NFL history with the “most guaranteed money added to a contract without adding new years,” and that record is likely a reflection of Hill’s unique contract situation.
The Dolphins once established Hill as the league’s highest-paid WR when they signed him to a four-year, $120MM extension. The last few years of that pact signaled that revisions were eventually coming. Hill was already attached to a significant $31MM cap hit in 2024, with that number jumping to $34MM in 2025 and an untenable $56MM in 2026. The front office also had outs in both 2025 and 2026 (via the player’s nonguaranteed $43.9MM salary), so it always seemed likely that the sides would head back to the drawing board.
Since inking his initial Miami extension, Hill has since been passed by the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson on the AAV list. Even Hill’s teammate, Jaylen Waddle found himself with a new deal that encroached on the numbers Hill was making. The Dolphins star won’t make any progress on St. Brown, Brown, and Jefferson with this latest deal in AAV, but he will approach Jefferson in terms of guaranteed money. Jefferson’s record-setting deal set the guaranteed money mark at $88.74MM.
It seemed strange that Hill trailed the above names in salary despite leading the league in receiving yards and touchdowns last year and only trailing Cowboys wideout CeeDee Lamb in receptions. Due to the nature of how quickly position salaries have seemed to escalate in recent years, it was no surprise to see Hill’s once record-setting deal pale in comparison to the younger generation.
The Dolphins’ new deal with Hill at least partially rights that wrong. Though Hill didn’t have any years added to his contract, Miami still has him, Waddle, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa under contract through the 2026 season, with both Waddle and Tagovailoa having one more year than Hill. The team’s offensive corps remains intact and well-paid for the next three years, at least.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Tyreek Hill: Dolphins Contract Talks ‘Positive Right Now’
Tua Tagovailoa‘s extension is in place, leaving Tyreek Hill‘s contract as a key financial priority remaining for the Dolphins to address. The latter is aiming to use the latest surge in the receiver market to secure a raise, although he is not interested in a trade taking place to make it possible.
Hill has been taking part in training camp while negotiations between agent Drew Rosenhaus and Dolphins continue. No deal is considered imminent at this point, but progress could be taking place based on Hill’s latest comments. The five-time All-Pro spoke about where things currently stand, and contract talks appear to be headed in a positive direction.
“I know it’s gonna come,” Hill said of an extension (video link via David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel). “Whenever it happens. My agent is doing his thing, I just got done having a conversation with him. Conversations are positive right now, so we’re gonna keep it positive. Right now, I’m gonna keep practicing every day trying to help this team win games.”
Three years remain on Hill’s current deal, but no guaranteed salary is in place after 2024. The final season of the pact includes a $43.9MM salary (and $56.31MM cap hit) which has long led to the presumption an adjustment of some kind would take place before that point. Miami has already handed out a $28.25MM-per-year extension to fellow wideout Jaylen Waddle this offseason, moving him into fifth in the league for AAV at the position. Hill currently sits fourth at $30MM.
Tagovailoa’s extension is one of several quarterback mega-deals worked out over the past two years, and as expected he is now among the signal-callers attached to an AAV above $50MM. He and Waddle are set to remain foundational members of the team’s offense for years to come with their respective pacts, but Hill’s outlook will be determined by whatever arrangement (if any) is worked out in the near future. The 30-year-old hopes to finish his career in Miami.
Hill has topped 1,700 receiving yards in both of his Dolphins campaigns, and he is positioned to once again be a contender to lead the league in production through the air in 2024. It remains to be seen if he will have a new contract in place by Week 1, but his latest remarks suggest an agreement could be reached relatively soon.
Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill Will Not Seek Trade To Secure Better Contract
Their back-to-back Super Bowl wins aside, the Chiefs certainly have been a less explosive offense since trading Tyreek Hill. Kansas City had entered extension talks to retain the historically talented deep threat in early March of 2022, but after Davante Adams‘ Raiders deal raised Hill’s asking price, a quick trade to Miami transpired.
Hill has thrived in Miami, with the two first-team All-Pro nods he has secured post-trade almost definitely locking up his Hall of Fame case, and has said he wants to finish his career with the Dolphins. This has made his current quest for an updated contract tricker, and Hill continued to remove one of the leverage plays he would have by insisting these negotiations not reach the point where another trade enters the equation.
“To be honest, I have no idea,” Hill said (via ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Beasley) regarding his contract status. “Obviously, I let Drew [Rosenhaus] and the team handle that situation. The only thing I told Drew was, ‘Do not get me traded, bro.’ Last time you did this, you got me traded. That’s been my only thing to him. I want to stay here in Miami.”
The Chiefs had Hill tied to an $18MM-per-year contract, one with team protections due to the wideout’s turbulent past, from 2019 until March 2022. Adams landing his $28MM-per-year Raiders accord moved Hill to ask for a deal in that neighborhood, though the speed merchant said at the time he was not mandating he become the NFL’s highest-paid receiver. The Dolphins made Hill the position’s kingpin by authorizing a four-year, $120MM extension; that deal kept Hill atop the WR salary list until Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson eclipsed his $30MM AAV this offseason.
The structure of Hill and Adams’ contracts point to their respective teams moving on or revising the deals, as lofty base salaries that likely will not be paid out are in place. Hill’s 2026 salary (a nonguaranteed $43.9MM) effectively makes 2025 a contract year, and he has sought better terms — potentially a new deal altogether — since last season ended. Hill’s 3,509 receiving yards since 2022 lead the NFL by more than 400, and his impact on Tua Tagovailoa‘s trajectory has been undeniable.
As the 2022 Xavien Howard redo showed, the Dolphins have a precedent in place for renegotiating with a player that had three years left on his contract. Hill’s deal running through 2026, along with his desire to stay in Miami, gives Chris Grier some ammo in the event the veteran GM does not want to provide a raise to a player locked in for three seasons. While Tagovailoa looms as Miami’s top priority, the team paying Jaylen Waddle does point to some type of adjustment to Hill’s contract commencing. But the timeline here is murky.
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill “Content” With Contract Situation
Tyreek Hill has been considered one of the top wide receivers in the game for several years now, making his case for the top spot even stronger by leading the league in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns last year despite missing a game. While he’s no longer paid like the top wide receiver in the NFL, Hill made it clear in a recent appearance on ESPN, posted to X by Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald, that he’s more focused on team accomplishments than a new deal.
When he arrived in Miami after six years in Kansas City, Hill became paid like the top receiver in the league. Since then, players like Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, and Amon-Ra St. Brown have reset the market at the wide receiver position. Believing that he remains a better wide receiver that anyone else in the league, Hill took aim at a new contract to accurately reflect his dominance.
The situation was a bit strange as Hill still has three years remaining on his current contract before he is set to hit free agency. This puts the Dolphins in a tough situation wherein they either set a dangerous precedent by entertaining contract negotiations with a player over whom they have three years of team control or allow Hill to continue being paid less than receivers he outperforms.
While an uncomfortable situation, the prospect of a new deal provides an opportunity for Miami, as well. They are currently set to enter the 2024 season with Hill representing the ninth-highest cap hit for an offensive player in the NFL. While a new contract will likely result in more money committed to Hill than before, it should offer the team an opportunity to shuffle around some numbers to lessen his cap impact in the coming seasons, during which they will need to address the contracts of such players as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
In his recent appearance on ESPN, Hill pumped the brakes on any pressure being put on his ball club, letting his hosts know that an extension is sure to come in due time. “I’m just very, like, glad, the position that I’m in now, man,” Hill said. “The reason I say that is: I know when it’s time for me to get a deal, the Miami Dolphins will do what’s right.
“I’m very content with where I’m at right now,” he continued. “My mindset and my focus right now is making sure that I’m able to help this team win it all, win the Super Bowl, and I’m real content with that. I’m going into year nine now. Money is the least of our worries right now. Like the biggest thing right now is to be able to grab onto something that we can hold onto the rest of our lives as a brotherhood, as a fan base, as an organization. If we’re able to do that, I’ll be happy.
“The contract, it’ll come. Whenever it comes, I’ll be happy,” Hill concluded. Hill made it clear that he wants Tagovailoa to get paid, as well, before expressing his confidence that a future deal for him would eventually come. As much as conversation has been focused on his desire for more money, Hill set the record straight today that his focus is on his team.
Checking In On Unresolved WR Situations
Wide receiver rumors continue to dominate the NFL’s post-minicamp quiet period. The shift atop the receiver market this offseason has complicated matters for other teams, while multiple clubs are also dealing with players attached to upper-middle-class accords.
With training camps less than a month away, here is a look at where the unresolved wideout situations stand:
Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers
This situation that has generated the most offseason rumors at the position; the 49ers-Aiyuk negotiations have dragged on for months. Progress has been scarce here, to the point Aiyuk requested a meeting to address his value and issues with the 49ers’ tactics during these talks. The Vikings’ Justin Jefferson extension has affected these conversations, with Aiyuk’s camp now seeking a full guarantee near the number ($88.7MM) the Minnesota superstar scored. AAV-wise, Aiyuk’s camp has been connected to pursuing a deal that matches or surpasses the $30.01MM number the Lions reached for Amon-Ra St. Brown. Aiyuk did not show for OTAs or minicamp.
Aiyuk, 26, is due a $14.12MM fifth-year option salary. His next step would be to hold out, risking $50K in per-day fines. The 49ers could waive them, as they did for Nick Bosa, since Aiyuk is on a rookie contract. That separates this situation from a few others here, and it is certainly possible the sides do not come together on a deal. Aiyuk not bringing down his guarantee request would run the risk of that happening.
While Aiyuk expects to be a 49er for a fifth season, the value gulf here — one partially created by the big-ticket deals other WRs have agreed to this offseason — threatens to prevent this situation from concluding smoothly like Deebo Samuel‘s did in 2022. The 49ers guaranteed Samuel $41MM at signing, illustrating how far the team and Aiyuk may be apart. Conversely, an agreement here — with the 49ers preparing for a Brock Purdy payday and having drafted Ricky Pearsall in Round 1 — would point to a 2025 Samuel trade. The 49ers discussed trades involving both their top wideouts, but John Lynch shut down those rumors post-draft.
Amari Cooper, Browns
The two-year Browns contributor joined Aiyuk in skipping minicamp, having seen his Cowboys-constructed contract fall in the pecking order (from second to 20th) due to the market booms of 2022 and 2024. Cooper signed a five-year deal, as the Cowboys prefer longer-term accords, in 2020 and missed out on cashing in as the market soared during the contract’s lifespan. Having played the lead role for a depleted Browns offense during an 11-6 2023 season, Cooper is aiming to score another payday ahead of his age-30 season.
Browns GM Andrew Berry identified Cooper as an extension candidate earlier this offseason, and Kevin Stefanski acknowledged talks have taken place. The Browns certainly had to assume they would be dealing with Cooper on the contract front once they gave trade pickup Jerry Jeudy a $41MM guarantee at signing (sixth among WRs). The ex-Bronco has yet to post a 1,000-yard season. Cooper has seven, though last season marked the older Alabama alum’s first 1,200-yard year.
With Deshaun Watson in Year 3 of a $230MM guaranteed extension, the Browns feature an unusual roster component. If Cooper were to hold out, the Browns would be unable to waive his $50K-per-day fines due to the 2015 first-rounder not being on a rookie contract.
As it stands, Cooper is tied to a $23.78MM cap number. Cleveland could reduce that with an extension, but Cooper’s age offers a slight complication. This does not appear an acrimonious dispute, and the sides are hoping for a pre-training camp resolution.
Tee Higgins, Bengals
This matter appears simpler, as Higgins has signed his $21.82MM franchise tender. Unlike Jessie Bates two years ago, Higgins is obligated to attend camp. The other eight players to receive a franchise or transition tag have signed extensions, each doing so several weeks ago. The Bengals have shown no indications they plan to extend their No. 2 wide receiver before the July 15 deadline, and while Higgins requested a trade, he has acknowledged he expects to remain in Cincinnati for the 2024 season. A trade could occur after the tag deadline, but the Bengals are highly unlikely — after resisting trade interest at the 2023 trade deadline — to move Higgins this year.
The Bengals and Higgins have discussed an extension for more than a year, and a modest offer — well south of $20MM per year — prompted the 6-foot-4 receiver to play out his fourth season. Gunning to dethrone the Chiefs and finish a mission they nearly accomplished in Super Bowl LVI, the Bengals tagged Higgins and are preparing to run back their standout receiver pair for a fourth year. If/once Higgins is tied to the tag this season, the sides cannot restart talks until January 2025. It is unclear if the Bengals would consider re-tagging Higgins next year, but the early word leans against this reality.
Joe Burrow‘s cap number spikes by $17MM between 2024 and 2025, moving past $46MM next year, and the Bengals have a receiver extension earmarked for Ja’Marr Chase. Though, Chase talks will be interesting after Jefferson’s guarantee figures surfaced.
Tyreek Hill, Dolphins
This is a rather unusual situation, but one that reminds of another Dolphins matter from recent years. Hill is tied to a four-year, $120MM extension; that deal runs through 2026. But the future Hall of Famer is already seeking a new contract. Teams rarely accommodate players with three years of team control remaining, due to the precedent it sets, but Hill has shown himself to be one of the top receivers of this era. He has delivered back-to-back first-team All-Pro offerings and has made a significant difference in Tua Tagovailoa‘s development. The Dolphins have not shut Hill down on this matter.
Hill, 30, is believed to have approached the Dolphins about an update before the St. Brown, Jefferson and A.J. Brown deals came to pass, but those contracts intensified the ninth-year veteran’s pursuit. Rather than a push for more guarantees on his current contract, Hill confirmed he is seeking a new deal. Teams are not big on giving back years to players, the Texans’ unusual move to lop three years off Stefon Diggs‘ contract notwithstanding, and agreeing on another extension — with customary guarantees — so soon would make for one of the more interesting decisions in this key chapter in WR history.
Dolphins GM Chris Grier has set a precedent on this front, giving in to Xavien Howard‘s demands for a new contract in 2022 despite being tied to a deal that covered three more seasons. The Dolphins have given Jaylen Waddle a big-ticket extension, one that is structured in a more player-friendly way than Hill’s backloaded $30MM-AAV pact. Signing deals that at the time broke the receiver AAV record, Hill and Davante Adams allowed their respective teams to insert phony final-year salaries — which almost definitely will not be paid out — to inflate the overall value.
No trade rumors have emerged here, as Hill wants to stay in Miami for his career’s remainder. Though, it will be interesting to see what comes out of these talks if the Dolphins decline Hill’s request this year. Hill is attached to a $31.23MM cap number.
CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys
The Vikings’ decision to authorize outlier guarantees for Jefferson probably affects the Cowboys most, as Lamb is also a 2020 first-round draftee who has shown himself to be one of the NFL’s best receivers. Lamb, 25, has been the centerpiece of the Cowboys’ passing attack since the team traded Amari Cooper — for salary purposes — in 2022. He is coming off a first-team All-Pro season — the first by a Dallas wideout since Dez Bryant in 2014 — and is tied to a $17.99MM fifth-year option figure. If Lamb does not land a new deal by training camp, he is prepared to follow Zack Martin‘s lead and hold out.
Dormant during the spring, Lamb extension talks are expected to pick up this summer. The Oklahoma alum’s interest in becoming the NFL’s highest-paid wideout veered toward shakier ground for the Cowboys following this offseason’s run of deals. The Cowboys not going through with a Lamb extension last year has certainly cost them, as Lamb’s camp has Jefferson’s guarantees to cite now. Dallas has not guaranteed a receiver more than $40MM at signing and typically holds the line on contracts spanning at least five years. Based on where the WR market has gone in terms of contract length, Lamb’s camp will likely make this a central issue in the sides’ negotiations.
Dallas not pushing this process past the goal line in 2023 has also created a situation in which Lamb and Dak Prescott are in contract years, a window that has opened just as Micah Parsons has become extension-eligible. The Cowboys are expected to first address their quarterback’s deal, which could be a tricky proposition due to Prescott’s tactics during his long-running extension talks earlier this decade, but a Lamb pact coming together by training camp is still in play. The Cowboys’ glut of extension candidates has created one of the more complicated contract situations in recent NFL history.
Courtland Sutton, Broncos
Checking in on a lower tier compared to the above-referenced receiver situations, Sutton continues to push for an update to his Denver deal. The Broncos have their top wide receiver attached to a four-year, $60MM extension that runs through 2025. Although just about every Broncos contract matter is overshadowed by the team’s Russell Wilson mistake, the team did well to lock down Sutton at what became a club-friendly rate during the 2021 season. After Sutton scored 10 touchdowns to help Wilson bounce back — to a degree, at least — in 2023, he has made an effort to secure better terms.
Sutton, 28, is believed to be angling for a raise from his $13MM 2024 base salary. The seventh-year target has been connected to seeking a bump to around $16MM. The Broncos did resolve a Chris Harris impasse by authorizing a raise, but the All-Decade CB was a better player who was in a contract year. Sutton reported to Denver’s minicamp but has not committed to showing up for training camp. Last month, the sides were at a stalemate. Tied to a $17.39MM cap number, Sutton would not be able to recoup any fines for a holdout due to being on a veteran contract.
Trade interest emerged during the draft, and the former second-round pick has regularly resided in departure rumors over the past two years. The Broncos cut the cord on fellow trade-rumor mainstay Jerry Jeudy, which stands to make Sutton more important as the team develops Bo Nix. Though, the Broncos have added a few wideouts on Sean Payton‘s watch. If younger players like Marvin Mims and fourth-round rookie Troy Franklin show promise, it is possible the Broncos revisit Sutton trade talks. Up until Week 1, only $2MM of Sutton’s base salary is guaranteed.
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill Seeking New Deal
Tyreek Hill reset the WR market a few years ago with a $30MM average annual value on his four-year pact. He’s recently been leaped by Justin Jefferson ($35MM), A.J. Brown ($32MM), and Amon-Ra St. Brown ($30.02MM), and teammate Jaylen Waddle earned more guaranteed money in his lucrative extension than Hill got in his Miami deal. With only a year’s worth of guaranteed money remaining on the veteran’s contract, Hill is naturally pushing for a revised contract.
[RELATED: Tyreek Hill Addresses Contract Situation]
In a conversation with Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, Hill acknowledged that he’s looking for a new deal.
“I’m very excited to like just be a part of the old wave, which was $30 million, and Justin Jefferson came and surpassed that, man,” Hill said. “So, very proud of those guys, happy for obviously my teammate Waddle getting his new deal. For guys like me, that’s great. I’m 30 years old, also looking for a new deal. So, very, very excited to see where I fit into that category. It’s amazing.”
Hill is still playing on the four-year, $120MM contract he inked with the Dolphins in 2022. However, the 2024 campaign will mark the final year where Hill is connected to any guaranteed money. With a lofty $50MM-plus cap hit coming during the 2026 season (plus a potential out in the contract following the 2024 campaign), it would make sense for both sides to return to the negotiating table.
While Hill has put up incredible numbers since joining the Dolphins, he’ll be entering his age-30 season in 2024. That would probably make him hard pressed to approach Jefferson’s record AAV, although Hill once admitted that he’s never necessarily aspired to be the league’s highest-paid WR. That could lead to some common ground between the two sides, allowing Hill to lock in more guaranteed money and/or a higher AAV while the Dolphins can clean their books for 2025 and 2026.
Fortunately for the organization, it doesn’t sound like Hill is distracted by a potential pay raise. He told Wilson that his lone focus is to help the Dolphins get over the hump.
“Oh yeah, for sure, so very excited for it, man, but the real goal is to win the Super Bowl,” Hill said. “It’s cool to get paid and all that, but you know being able to win a Super Bowl and bring something special to the city of Miami, that’s something that can live with us forever. I believe that’s very monumental for all of us. Create greatness, man.”
Tyreek Hill Addresses Contract Situation
Although Tyreek Hill‘s four-year, $120MM contract held the belt for most lucrative wide receiver deal for 25 months, this offseason’s developments have made the contract look Dolphins-friendly.
Prior to Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson raising the AAV bar past Hill’s $30MM number and the Dolphins giving Jaylen Waddle more in total guarantees compared to their WR1’s contract, Miami’s future Hall of Fame pass catcher had been angling for an adjustment to his deal. The backloaded structure of Hill’s contract came up during the Jefferson-Vikings negotiations, and the younger wideout superstar managed to avoid the issue the Miami-based performer is navigating.
Jefferson’s guarantee numbers lap the WR field, with his fully guaranteed figure ($88.7MM) checking in $36MM north of Hill’s previous highwater mark. The Minnesota standout’s contract structure does not feature a phony final year to prop up the AAV figure the way Hill’s Dolphins pact does. Hill’s agent (Drew Rosenhaus) has communicated with Dolphins GM Chris Grier on this matter, but with the All-Pro talent signed through 2026, the team does not exactly have to act now.
“About the contract situation, I’m going to let my agent do his job,” Hill said, via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe. “That’s his job, man. His job is to get great at that. My job is obviously to come out here and help this team win. … We want to make sure it benefits both sides. I want to be able to help the team as much as I can. That’s as much as I can say about it.”
Hill, 30, added his top priority is making sure he will be a “Dolphin for life.” Offering glowing sentiments about his situation in Miami, Hill does not appear ready to force the issue just yet. His contract issue comes as the Dolphins are negotiating a blockbuster extension with Tagovailoa. As this situation plays out, Mike McDaniel said (via ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Beasley) Hill did not participate in team drills at this week’s minicamp.
It will be interesting to see, however, if Hill’s tone shifts should the Dolphins continue to hold their top player to a contract that includes three more seasons. Teams have held comparable players to club-friendly terms in the not-so-distant past. The Steelers did not relent on a third Antonio Brown contract until his walk year in 2017, and the Patriots never gave Rob Gronkowski a third contract, keeping him on the six-year deal he signed in 2012.
Hill made his way to South Florida after Davante Adams‘ Raiders contract prompted a course change during talks on a third Hill-Chiefs contract. While Hill said at the time he was not asking to be the NFL’s highest-paid receiver, the Chiefs bailed upon learning the speed merchant’s new asking price. The trade became mutually beneficial, with the draft capital obtained helping Kansas City win back-to-back Super Bowls and Hill elevating his profile with consecutive first-team All-Pro seasons while boosting Tua Tagovailoa‘s career in the process.
This Dolphins regime did cave to Xavien Howard earlier this decade. A year after giving Byron Jones a then-cornerback-record contract, the Dolphins dealt with Howard displeasure regarding a deal he signed in 2019. Four years remained on Howard’s deal when Grier authorized a reworking, and the GM greenlit a new contract that brought $50.7MM in new money months later. This process has probably already come up as the Hill camp presents a case for an adjusted contract, and after back-to-back 1,700-yard seasons, the eight-year veteran can certainly cite his impact on Tagovailoa as a reason he deserves to be paid in step with the new WR market.
Hill’s guarantees run out after 2024, and the 2026 season features an inflated base salary ($43.9MM) that almost definitely will not be paid. While Hill’s age and the duration of his contract provide some complications on his path to an adjusted accord, the Howard precedent — and perhaps the Dolphins wanting to finalize this before a CeeDee Lamb extension impacts the market further — may lead to a near-future resolution.
Tyreek Hill Aiming For New Contract
JUNE 3: While speaking about Hill’s contract status with WSVN7’s Josh Moser, agent Drew Rosenhaus said he has a “fluid line of communication” with the Dolphins’ front office (video link). Justin Jefferson‘s Vikings extension has, to no surprise, moved the top of the receiver market even higher. Hill will no doubt look to take advantage of that as talks pertaining to a new deal take place.
MAY 30: The Dolphins have acted early with Jaylen Waddle, making the younger of their two 1,000-yard wide receivers the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid pass catcher. Already employing the No. 3 player on that list, the Dolphins look to have a bit of an issue on their hands.
Tyreek Hill has used the Miami portion of his career to cement his status as a surefire Hall of Famer, separating from Patrick Mahomes and thriving on his own. The historically elite speed merchant has posted back-to-back 1,700-yard seasons. While Waddle is younger, Hill has worked as the Dolphins’ clear-cut No. 1 target during his two South Florida seasons.
[RELATED: Hill Wants To Finish Career With Dolphins]
The wideout market has caught up to Hill, whose $30MM-per-year deal paced the field for more than two years. Agreed to in March 2022, Hill’s four-year, $120MM Dolphins extension included a phony final year that calls for a $43.9MM base salary — one that almost definitely will not be paid. The guarantees in Hill’s current pact run out after the 2024 season. Prior to Waddle’s $28.25MM-AAV payday, A.J. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown passed Hill for per-year value. Other wideouts have scored better-looking contracts since Hill’s extension, even if they did not hit the $30MM-AAV number.
Prior to St. Brown and Brown’s accords, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio indicates Hill has been pursuing a new contract. Hill approached the Dolphins about a new deal following the 2023 season, and Florio adds the ninth-year veteran’s efforts increased when the Eagles handed Brown a second extension — worth a market-setting $32MM per year. Like Hill, Brown’s previous contract was signed in spring 2022 and ran through 2026. As a rule, teams steer clear of major contract adjustments with three seasons remaining. But Hill’s camp has undoubtedly pointed to his production surpassing Brown’s.
While giving the Chiefs a downfield dimension they have lacked since making the trade, Hill eclipsed 1,300 yards in a season once in six Kansas City slates. The Davante Adams extension changed Hill’s asking price in 2022, and the Chiefs shifted from Hill extension talks to a trade and have since won two more Super Bowls without a No. 1-caliber wideout. The Dolphins have seen Hill elevate Tua Tagovailoa‘s production considerably, and no wideout’s yardage comes within 400 yards of Hill’s total (3,509) over the past two years. Granted, Justin Jefferson — the NFL’s runaway yardage leader from 2021-22 — missed much of last season due to injury. Jefferson’s Vikings negotiations also figure to motivate Hill.
As Brown could factor in more prime years into negotiations with the Eagles, Jefferson is going into his age-25 season. The Minnesota-based wideout is poised to eclipse Brown’s new AAV benchmark ($32MM) by a notable margin. Having turned 30 earlier this offseason and being signed through 2026, Hill does not stand in a similarly strong negotiating position.
Already playing two seasons on a contract that included $52.5MM fully guaranteed — still the league WR standard in that category — Hill has done well on the contract front. This is Hill’s third NFL contract; he scored the second one — a three-year, $54MM pact — shortly after the NFL did not suspend him following a child-abuse scandal that had him away from the Chiefs for several weeks. This era’s premier long-range playmaker has already earned $93MM over the course of his career.
The Dolphins, who are negotiating what stands to be a franchise-record extension with Tagovailoa, have made a longer-term commitment to Waddle. The team could move money around in Hill’s contract and/or add incentives to the deal, but with its top receiver signed for three more seasons, Miami can also stand down here. Hill’s current deal gives the team flexibility beyond 2024, though he certainly does not profile as a cut candidate following this season. It will be interesting to see how he proceeds if/once Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb, and possibly Brandon Aiyuk, secure market-shifting extensions as this offseason progresses.
Tyreek Hill Wants To Finish Career With Dolphins
Tyreek Hill previously hinted that he could hang up his cleats at the conclusion of his current contract. During a recent appearance on the Around the Bar podcast, Hill implied that he’s aiming for one more mega-deal, and the receiver made it clear that he wants to sign that next contract with the Dolphins.
“I love Miami. I love every bit of it,” Hill said (h/t ProFootballTalk.com). “My wife loves it, the kids love it, my mom loves it, and it’s just a beautiful city to live in. There’s so much stuff to do. Obviously, I would like to retire in Miami, but we all know how the NFL is, how jobs go, and people getting promotions over here and we understand that. But Miami is a great city. I love the team I play on, love the guys in the locker room, love the head coach, love the GM. So that means sign me. I love all you guys so much, I want to stay in Miami forever, man. Keep me there.”
Hill’s “sign me” statement is especially telling considering the terms of his current pact. While the receiver is technically signed through the 2026 season, that $30MM-per-year deal only contains guarantees through the 2024 season. That means negotiations on a reworked deal and/or an extension are surely coming, and a divorce will remain a possibility if the Dolphins refuse to meet Hill’s inevitable demands.
Hill now ranks third at his position in average annual salary (behind A.J. Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown), so it’s not like the Dolphins would be eyeing a significant pay raise. The front office could simply proceed with the current terms of the contract, but there’s a chance Hill will push for some security beyond this upcoming campaign. The Dolphins will also have to consider an extension for Jaylen Waddle, who will be finishing up his rookie contract in 2025.
The Dolphins have been signaling that they intend to move forward with their two-headed monster at wide receiver. Odell Beckham Jr.‘s new contract is for only one season, and the Dolphins only committed to a pair of late-round receivers in the draft (Malik Washington and Tahj Washington). Both Hill and the Dolphins seemingly want to finish out the contract (or even add to it), but the eventual negotiations will likely reveal if that’s a real possibility.
Dolphins Rumors: OBJ, Chubb, Wilson
The Dolphins’ efforts to bring in another receiver have taken an interesting turn today. According to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is planning to visit Miami tomorrow. Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson has been reporting on the Dolphins’ interest in the veteran wideout.
The team’s wide receiving corps will continue to be dominated by Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Miami re-signed return specialist Braxton Berrios, and a tweet today from River Cracraft seems to indicate that the team was able to re-sign the depth piece, as well. Over two years with the Dolphins, Cracraft was 18 catches for 223 yards and three touchdowns.
After that, the only available receivers on the roster are Erik Ezukanma, Anthony Schwartz, Braylon Sanders, and Mathew Sexton. The team has inquired with a couple of receivers on the free agent market, and their inquiries into Beckham appear to have resulted in tomorrow’s visit.
Last year with Baltimore, Beckham didn’t quite reach the heights of his early-career success, but he still looked like himself at times as he received for his highest yardage total since 2019. He also found himself taking a backseat in targets to rookie Zay Flowers, so there shouldn’t be much of an issue with losing targets to Hill and Waddle. Tomorrow will determine if Beckham is willing to join the fray in Miami on a reasonable deal.
Here are a few other rumors coming out of South Beach:
- The Dolphins were able to agree to a restructured deal with pass rusher Bradley Chubb today, per ESPN’s Field Yates. The team converted $13.75MM of Chubb’s 2024 base salary into a signing bonus while adding a void year to the end of his contract. The move frees up $11MM of cap space for a team that may be looking to add a weapon like Beckham in the near future.
- Running back Jeff Wilson also reportedly agreed to a restructured deal, according to Jackson. Wilson has accepted a pay cut in 2024 from $2.6MM to $1.13MM, helping to lower his cap hit by $1.32MM. In exchange, the team added $400K of guarantees to his deal and made available a $100K workout bonus, a $255K incentive if he is active for every game, and a $550K incentive based on combined rushing and receiving yards and team performance.
- In addition to the two restructures above, Jackson suggests that Miami could attempt to open up some cap space by signing Hill to a new extension or giving quarterback Tua Tagovailoa a long-term contract.
- Lastly, Jackson reports that former Seahawks offensive guard Phil Haynes visited Miami on Monday. With veteran guard being listed as an item on the team’s wish list, the Haynes visit makes plenty of sense, though he departed before the two sides could come together on an agreement. Haynes earned the starting right guard job for Seattle last year before suffering a season-ending toe injury after eight games.