The Miami Dolphins currently have a culture that fosters drama above all else. As the saying goes “winning cures everything” once the team finished the season with a losing record and missed the playoffs for the first time in the Mike McDaniel era things began to take a turn for the worse.
First Tyreek Hill removed himself from the regular season finale against the New York Jets when it became clear that the Dolphins were going to be eliminated from playoff contention regardless of the outcome due to the Denver Broncos defeating the Kansas City Chiefs and securing the final Wild Card Spot. Then he appeared to openly proclaim his intention of leaving the team in his post game interview.
Despite the team and Hill’s representatives claiming that everything was alright between the two sides, he continued to troll the fanbase, insinuating that he wanted to be traded on social media. Then this week, he answers a fan’s question about his top five quarterbacks in the NFL, the star receiver names Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, and Joe Burrow.
In a vacuum, this is a solid list, a respectable one, maybe with the expectation of Baker Mayfield.
However, we don’t live life in a vacuum but instead in the real world. In the real world, you’re expected to support your teammate and quarterback. Supporting Tua Tagovailoa was something the Hill repeatedly did over the course of the first three years of his time in Miami.
Consistently propping him up as the most accurate passer he’s played with. When you have a quarterback who is judged as harshly as Tua has been, it goes without saying that you should openly support your guy. The fact that Tyreek went out of his way to answer this fan and not include Tua shows that he, at the very least, isn’t taking being a good teammate as seriously as he has in the past. It also could indicate that, despite reassurances to the contrary, Hill still wants off the Dolphins.
This comes down to culture, specifically the culture McDaniel has seemingly fostered with his player-first approach. An approach that was well documented when the team appeared on the in-season version of HBO’s Hard Knocks, his style is one of self-empowerment, but that is something that only works with a certain type of player. It appears that the team does not possess many players of that ilk.
Instead of the players stepping up into leadership roles by their position and contract, we’ve seen star players like Hill and Jalen Ramsey attempt to jump ship. It’s embarrassing for the player as a professional athlete and potential leader to not step up into that role when you’re making so much money. It is equally embarrassing for the fans to constantly hear about the soft culture of the team. Media members are relaying what anonymous sources have shared about how McDaniel has rubbed players the wrong way.
If being among the highest-paid players at your position in a state that doesn’t have state income tax isn’t enough to satisfy these stars, then maybe it is time for the team to move on. Their contracts make that more difficult but a cleanslate could potentially reset the culture and allow McDaniel to adjust his approach.
For now, we can only wait and see if Hill and Ramsey get their wishes and are sent to new teams. I know I can’t be alone in feeling as if the superstars have worn out their welcome.
