NFL Insider Thinks Antics of Dolphins’ Superstar Could be a Problem

Miami Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill has said this offseason and in training camp that he’s re-applying himself to his craft. He’s even said that he’s now taking notes in meetings, which is nice of him.

But, despite previous comments, Hill was late to practice on Sunday. Pointing that out may be making too much of it, as Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald said that he only missed the stretching portion.

“Ya’ll trying too hard,” Kelly said on X. “He missed stretch, which is something he’s rarely attended, and that includes his 2 1,700 yard seasons.”

Ok, that might be so, but as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, Hill just said that showing up for the team’s stretches is important.

At his press conference on Friday, Hill was asked this: “We’ve seen you make a considerate effort to be out here at the start of stretch. Is that intentional? Is that part of that same thing of holding yourself accountable?”

“Yeah, I think it’s very important because football is a team sport,” Hill replied. “I think whenever guys are able to see me come out here and stretch with them, it just keeps the engine rolling with the whole team. It is important. The one day I did miss, I was just dropping the kids off to the pool. Besides that, I’m out here every day, dawg.”

As Florio so eloquently put it: “He wasn’t out there today, dawg.” (I admit, Florio kills me).

Is it a big deal that Tyreek Hill was late for practice?

It shouldn’t be a huge red flag that Hill didn’t stretch with the team, but it does make you wonder if he’s really turned over a new leaf. It should also be noted that Dolphins players weren’t disciplined for tardiness last year and there was supposed to be a renewed focus heading into 2025.

And, considering Hill is already trying to dig himself out of the hole he created at the end of the 2024 season, shouldn’t he be setting a good example for the younger guys?

“Hill showing up late brings back into focus the core question of whether he has changed from the guy who, after a frustrating 2024 season, said he wants out of Miami,” Florio writes. “Ignore the Super Bowl radio-row apology tour. Watch his actions.

“Beyond whether he’s showing up on time for the “very important” act of participating in the team stretch is whether he’ll act up if/when the Dolphins are 1-4 and/or he only got a handful of targets in a game during which he was, in his view, open on every play.”

Would the Dolphins move him if things go south?

It’s jumping the gun to go from “late-to-practice” to “when-is-the-next-bus-out-of-town?” But, Florio isn’t wrong to note that there have been plenty of trade rumors surrounding Hill this offseason and it might not take much to jump start them.

“Once June 1 came and went, we wondered whether a team would make the Dolphins an offer for Hill,” Florio continues. “With the trade deadline now the Tuesday after Week 9, any early-season struggles by the Dolphins and/or discontent from Hill could become the two key ingredients for a true contender to try to make a trade.

“If said contender believes the positive of Hill’s talent outweigh the negatives of, well, pretty much everything else.”

Problems with Hill have to be high on general manager Chris Grier’s list of things he doesn’t need right now. There are enough problems with the Dolphins, he really doesn’t need more trouble with a superstar.