Analyzing Tyreek Hill’s Pending Trade Request

Tyreek Hill wants to jump ship from Dolphin waters.

The Miami Dolphins (8-9) needed to beat the New York Jets in Week 18 to possibly sneak into the NFL playoffs. They lost to Aaron Rodgers and Co. 32-20. This puts wide receiver Tyreek Hill out of the postseason for the first time in his career. And he seems to be taking that reality especially hard.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Hill said,

“This is the first time I haven’t been in the playoffs man. I just gotta do what’s best for me and my family. If that’s here or wherever the case may be, I’m finna open that door for myself dawg. I’m opening the door bro. I’m out.”

His comments look like a clear indication that he’s looking for a trade out of Miami. Hill’s admission excited many NFL fanbases in search of wide receiver help. New England Patriots fans quickly clamored for Hill to leave the Dolphins and join Drake Maye in Foxborough.

New England fired head coach Jerod Mayo following their season-ending 23-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills. The triumph knocked the Patriots from the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft to No. 4 overall. Maybe their new coach would want a new WR too.

In addition to missing the playoffs for the first time, Hill also failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards this season. Based on a Twitter/X post following the game, he’s struggling to deal with those two shortcomings.

Once things settle down over the next couple of weeks, it’s possible Hill will get his emotions sorted out and remain in Miami. There’s no guarantee, though, that a man who forced his way out of Kansas City – and away from Patrick Mahomes – will change his mind once it’s made up.

In terms of viable destinations, New England makes sense. The Patriots need to surround Maye, whom they believe to be Tom Brady’s heir apparent, with legitimate receivers. They also have almost $132 million in available cap space for 2025, meaning they could easily fit Hill’s contract on their books.

However, if Hill is intent on making the postseason, New England is much further from contention than Miami. The Dolphins also, barring no other options, wouldn’t want to trade Hill to a divisional opponent. Facing him twice a year is something they’d probably want to avoid.

Beyond the Patriots, the Washington Commanders are another landing spot. The Commanders have $103 million in cap space with which to supplement likely Offensive Rookie of the Year winner Jayden Daniels in 2025.

Washington’s second-leading wide receiver in 2024 was Olamide Zaccheaus, who posted 506 yards for the season. 206 (40.7%) of those came in Weeks 16-18. Getting a running mate for Terry McLaurin will be a big priority for the Commanders this offseason.

New England and Washington will undoubtedly not be alone in gauging Hill’s availability. But after this outburst, his actions are speaking louder than his words.

What is Tyreek Hill so frustrated about?

Hill indicated that he wants to be the driving force of a playoff team. He was that, in tandem with Travis Kelce, in Kansas City. Instead of continuing to sacrifice some individual production there, he left for Miami. The Dolphins have not been considered a true contender after September, since his arrival. Yet, when he posted 1,700 yards in 2022 and 2023, his only complaints were about his paycheck.

Once you dip slightly below the surface, you see Hill’s issue is not with Miami missing the postseason. It’s for McDaniel not getting him 1,000 yards, a threshold he’d have easily cleared if Tua Tagovailoa were healthy all season. Hill averaged four receptions and 41.3 receiving yards in the seven games Tagovailoa played fewer than 97% of snaps. He posted 5.8 receptions and 67 yards per contest in Tagovailoa’s “full” games.

In his postgame press conference, McDaniel said he wouldn’t “match emotion with emotion” when discussing Hill’s comments.

The Dolphins could have made the playoffs if Tagovailoa avoided injury. But because Hill didn’t reach 1,000 yards, there’s a problem. His body language and tone reveal more than his “it is what it is” response about not eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark.

Does Tyreek Hill’s attitude hurt his chances of being traded?

It’s apparent that Hill has a “me > team” mentality. Most Super Bowl-level organizations preach a “team > me” approach. How many of them would jeopardize their culture for someone who operates against that grain rather than with it?

Hill’s best competitive fits (ignoring potential salary cap limitations) are the same caliber as Miami’s. Does he think the Atlanta Falcons or Indianapolis Colts have a higher ceiling? How about the Pittsburgh Steelers or Green Bay Packers? His individual production certainly wouldn’t translate in the latter spots. The same goes for top-tier units like the Baltimore Ravens or Buffalo Bills.

Ironically, the team that best fits his theoretical qualifications is Kansas City. The Chiefs have lacked a consistent explosive element in their passing attack since his trade. Despite this, they may win a third straight Super Bowl without his services. What reason do they have to reacquire him when they’ve demonstrated his presence is unnecessary for the highest possible team success?

Hill is a Hall of Fame talent. He’s the only receiver in NFL history with multiple seasons of 1,700 receiving yards. But he’s a soon-to-be 31-year-old making $30 million per season with a history of off-field issues. Teams looking to make a leap to true contending status can afford his risk/reward balance. Real contenders can’t.

If Hill were willing to sacrifice dollars or production for the chance to win a Lombardi Trophy, perhaps he’d land with a legitimate Super Bowl contestant. To do that, though, he’d have to look in the mirror and swallow some pride. He’s best served staying in Miami. Because as he already knows, the grass isn’t always greener.