Tyreek Hill decided to break the internet on April 4th, 2023, when he spoke about his retirement plans on the Totally Offensive podcast. Hill mentioned that he would like to retire at the end of his contract with the Miami Dolphins in 2025. That still gives fans at least three more years of watching the Cheetah in aqua and orange. Since Hill has been in the news, I thought it would be a good time to talk about what he could accomplish in the 2023 season and beyond. 

 

On March 23rd, 2022, the sports world was shaken by the news of the Kansas City Chiefs trading wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. The trade package consisted of five draft packs, 2022 1st, 2nd, and 4th, as well as 2023 4th and 6th, which immediately had Dolphins fans screaming, “Forget dem picks!”. This was widely viewed as a win, despite some blowback that Hill might not be the same receiver going from Patrick Mahomes to Tua Tagovailoa. Fast forward to the end of the 2022 season, and Hill finished with career highs in both receptions (119) and yards (1,710) to go with seven touchdowns, a far cry from the “downgrade” that many were expecting. 

 

When Tyreek Hill arrived in Miami, he was greeted by new Head Coach Mike McDaniel, who had just one thing to say “2,000”. McDaniel knew what he was acquiring with a talent like Hill, and honestly, a 2,000-yard season was not unfathomable. What couldn’t be foreseen, however, were the two concussions that Tua Tagovailoa suffered, causing him to miss four and a half games, if you include him leaving the Week 4 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. For reference, in the four games that Tua missed, Tyreek Hill didn’t score a touchdown and averaged just 75.5 yards per game. In the 13 games with Tua, Hill averaged 108.3 yards per game; if you’re a stats person, it isn’t difficult to notice the difference. 

All of this brings me to my next question, what could Tyreek Hill accomplish in a full season with a healthy Tua Tagovailoa? I truly believe that Hill can become the first wide receiver to eclipse 2,000 yards. Former Detroit Lion and current Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson holds the current receiving yards record at 1,964. Both Tyreek Hill and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was in the running to break that record, but both fell just short at 1,710 (Hill) and 1,809 (Jefferson). Assuming full health, and if we take that average I mentioned earlier of 108.3 with Tua on the field, Hill would’ve finished with 1,841 yards, which is still 159 yards short. The biggest problem Hill faces his teammate, Jaylen Waddle, who also commands a heavy target share due to his explosiveness. Tyreek Hill saw the bulk of the targets at 170, with Waddle finishing second at 117; the bigger difference between the two stars is Hill’s 119 receptions vs. Waddle’s 75. Waddle did do more with his receptions as he led the league in yards per reception at 18.1 vs. Hill’s 14.4. 

 

With retirement in the near future for Tyreek Hill, I believe he will make it a point to add to his legacy. Breaking Calvin Johnson’s record and becoming the first receiver to reach 2,000 receiving yards would certainly cement him as a potential Hall of Famer. On top of personal records, I believe a few more Super Bowl rings wouldn’t hurt his Hall of Fame bid, either. A second year with Tua in McDaniel’s offense might just be what Hill needs, and with a few of our 2023 opponents being offensive powerhouses, our offense is going to have to follow suit. All in all, 2023 has all the makings of an exciting year for the Miami Dolphins and their fans, and hopefully, our 2023 season ends with a win in February.