eighteen months ago, tyreek hill agree to do a recast contract with miami dolphins. He was coming off back-to-back seasons with over 1,700 receiving yards and was a cornerstone of one of the league’s best offenses. As early as Presidents Day 2026, a few weeks before free agency begins on March 11 Dolphins release Hill.
The franchise is now in a very different place than it was before. It has a new coach in Jeff Hafley and a new general manager in John-Eric Sullivan. It has consecutively missed the playoffs after reaching the postseason in the past two seasons. Hill, too, hasn’t replicated the success he had early on with the Dolphins, failing to reach 1,000 receiving yards in 2024 and then missing most of 2025. Knee dislocation and ACL tear.
Hill’s release this offseason was expected, but its timing surprised many. Why did the Dolphins release the five-time first-team All-Pro, what is his recovery timeline and how much interest might he draw in free agency?
ESPN NFL Nation Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler and ESPN injury analyst Stefania Bell weigh in on everything you need to know.
Why did the Dolphins release Tyreek Hill?
Hill signed a four-year, $120 million extension with the Dolphins through 2022, and agreed to a restructured deal in 2024 that increased his guaranteed money to $106.5 million – an NFL record for a skill player. He had no guaranteed money coming into 2026, but the receiver still had a cap hit of $51.1 million this season.
The cap numbers were tolerable when Hill was productive, but his last two seasons were a far cry from his first two seasons in Miami. In 2024 and 2025, he caught a combined 102 passes for 1,224 yards and seven touchdowns. These figures were clearly influenced by the knee dislocation he suffered in week four of the 2025 season, which may prove difficult for the 31-year-old to recover from. Sullivan was adamant Establishing a new culture Within the Dolphins’ building, and it usually involves significant roster moves.
Sullivan believes in developing through the draft. While Hill was highly productive during his first two seasons, the trade for him was one of several moves that limited the Dolphins’ draft capabilities. Draft capital is a sunk cost at this point, but Sullivan still took the first step toward putting his stamp on this roster. –Louis-Jacques
Is there a reason the Dolphins released Hill just weeks before the start of free agency?
Miami is embarking on a major rebuild by making a series of cuts a week before the NFL combine. Hill was one of four Dolphins players released on Monday, saving the team approximately $70 million in cap space.
Hill hit the trifecta for players who were bound to make cuts: age (31), injury and increased salary. Therefore, the dolphins now make easier decisions, less willing to worry about emotions in the new arrangement. Sullivan and Hafley understand what kind of undertaking this roster remodel will be and are embracing it. The hill represents the past. — Fowler
How will releasing Hill impact the Dolphins’ salary cap space this year and in the future?
Hill’s immediate release would cost the Dolphins approximately $28 million this season and save them approximately $23 million. If he was designated for release after June 1, he could have split the dead cap hit over the next two years, but terminating his contract immediately essentially allows him to pay his theoretical credit card now rather than spreading out the payments.
His release leaves Miami with one of the thinnest wide receiver rooms in the NFL. jaylen waddle Still under contract, but this is also the Dolphins’ most valuable trade asset if they choose to dig deeper in this rebuild.
Adding a pass-catching option will be a priority this offseason, as their offense is not currently set up to support whoever their next quarterback is. –Louis-Jacques
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Sam Ecco: I’m ‘not too surprised’ by Tyreek Hill’s release
Sam Aiko breaks down on why he’s not surprised by the Dolphins’ decision to release Tyreek Hill.
What might Hill’s free agent market look like?
Hill is one of the rare players who has retained his elite speed well into his 30s – speed that has kept him among the game’s elite pass catchers. A significant knee injury to him could jeopardize that momentum and Hill himself Didn’t shy away from the idea of retirement Back in October.
But Hill may be the unique player who can overcome this and continue playing. A potential return to Kansas City has to be mentioned. The Chiefs’ offense hasn’t been the same since the franchise traded Hill in 2022.
reconnect with los angeles chargers Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniels also makes sense. Hill was a perfect fit for McDaniel’s plan. While Hill’s top-earning days may be over, he’s still likely to get a respectable contract. — Fowler
What is the timeline of Hill’s recovery after suffering a dislocated knee and torn ACL last year?
Knee dislocations are so variable in their presentation that recovery timelines are equally variable depending on the extent of structural damage. In addition to ligament and other soft tissue injuries, there may also potentially be meniscus, bone, artery, and nerve damage.
Hill underwent surgery in late September to repair multiple torn ligaments, including his ACL. His agent Drew Rosenhaus told WSVN-TV at that time “There’s no nerve damage, no blood flow problems, no broken bones [knee] The cartilage is fine.”
The absence of fractures in the lower extremity, healthy knee articular cartilage and the integrity of both the nerve and blood supply in the lower leg are excellent reasons for optimism when it comes to Hill’s eventual full recovery. Nevertheless, the extent of Hill’s ligament damage was not reported.
In addition to recovery from ACL reconstruction, which typically lasts 9 to 12 months, any additional ligament involvement has the potential to increase overall recovery and time to return to play. After four and a half months of operation, still early in the overall process, Hill’s timeline remains uncertain. Even though he is making good progress, as he told reporters during Super Bowl week, there are still some benchmarks to pass to move toward a return to football activity and ultimately a return to playing.
If any obstacles are encountered in Hill’s recovery path going forward, it may require an adjustment to the timeline, even if it’s as simple as starting the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Any team signing Hill will expect fluidity in his recovery process, especially coming off of such a complex injury.
It’s worth reiterating that returning to performance is different from returning to play. Even when a player receives medical clearance to participate in all activities, there may be a lag before his performance returns to his pre-injury level. Not rushing an NFL athlete on the front end – especially one whose style is based on speed and elusiveness – can pay dividends on the back end in terms of performance. — Bell
