How in the World Can the Dolphins Replace Hill?
Tyreek Hill is not coming back, not this season and perhaps never again.
The 31-year-old speedster suffered a devastating injury in the Miami Dolphins’ 27-21 victory over the New York Jets on Monday night. It was clear to anyone watching that the injury was severe, after being tackled out of bounds by Malachi Moore his leg was left twisted. A gruesome display of the brutality that is the game of football and a reminder that no player, regardless of their superstar status, is immune to it.
On Wednesday, head coach Mike McDaniel was asked for an update and emphasized that it would be a while before Hill was able to return to the field.
“He’s doing well. He’s in the hospital. He was there last night.” He said. “He’ll spend the night again tonight for precautions so he has the finest care, and there’s been a plethora of teammates that have made sure that their guy is good as well as an above-and-beyond training staff. Our head trainer was at the hospital with him when he had surgery. So he’s doing well and starting the long road to recovery.”
While the continuation of Hill’s career is unknown, a question to be answered at a future date, the Dolphins still have a game on Sunday. As such they must figure out who will step up in Hill’s absence. On the one hand, the return of Darren Waller couldn’t have come at a better time.
In his limited playing time on Monday night, Waller hauled in two touchdowns. On the other hand, Waller cannot replace the production and, more importantly, command the attention of the opposing defense in the same way Hill does.
The pressure to deliver will chiefly fall upon the shoulders of Jaylen Waddle. The fifth-year pro who recently signed a three-year $84.75 million extension must improve upon his 2024 season, where he only caught 54 passes for 700 yards and two touchdowns, while struggling with injuries.
So far in 2025, Waddle has 17 receptions for 185 yards and two touchdowns through 4 games. Not exactly the kind of numbers you expect from a highly paid playmaker, but with Hill out, he should see his targets increase. This is an important moment for Waddle to prove he’s more than just Robin to Hill’s Batman and can be a premier player in the league. Something that he has shown flashes of being capable of becoming, with 104 receptions in his rookie year and 1,356 yards in year two.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was a player I was very excited to watch this season when Miami picked him up. My hope then was that the 6-foot-2-inch, 211-pound Westbrook-Ikhine would provide a bit of a change of pace for the Dolphins offense that has traditionally relied on speed in the McDaniel era.
Unfortunately, he has seldom found the field through 4 games and as such hasn’t contributed much on offense, posting a statline of 4 receptions for 26 yards. He’s shown flashes of star power in his career, with nine touchdowns just last season while in Tennessee. With Hill out, I expect to see a lot more of him going forward.
In the wake of Hill’s injury, the Dolphins turned to a familiar face in Cedrick Wilson Jr., whom they signed off the Saints’ practice squad. Wilson Jr. was originally brought in as the splashy free agent signing for the team during McDaniel’s first offseason. The move would be overshadowed by the trade for Hill, but perhaps now we will finally see what McDaniel envisioned when he originally brought Wilson Jr. in.
First, he will have to rehab from a procedure he recently underwent, which certainly throws a wet blanket over the excitement of his return.
However, he already knows the offense from his time with the team in 2022 and 2023, and ideally, he won’t be out long, or else the team wouldn’t have signed him… probably. Meaning that when he is ready, he should be able to hit the field and start producing in short order.
It’s impossible to replace Hill outright, especially in the middle of the season.
However, to paraphrase the words of Billy Beane as portrayed by Brad Pitt in Moneyball, perhaps the Dolphins can recreate him in the aggregate. Or maybe I’m too optimistic, and Hill’s absence will be too much for Miami to overcome; only time will tell.
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