In the twelve days since the Dolphins released receiver Tyreek Hill, no other team has emerged as a serious suitor to sign him. During four days at the Scouting Combine, no one said anything to suggest that a pursuit of Hill was happening, or looming.
That makes it difficult, to say the least, to predict his next team. Guesses are nevertheless welcome, via a “next team” wager at DraftKings.
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The Chiefs are the current favorites, at +150. Next are the Bills at +600, the Ravens at +700, and the Chargers at +800.
The Patriots, Raiders, and Rams are +1400. The Steelers, Giants, and Broncos are +1600. The 49ers have +1800 odds.
Last week, Chiefs coach Andy Reid provided a lukewarm (at best) assessment regarding a possible reunion, citing Hill’s current health. He continues to recover from a serious knee injury suffered against the Jets in Week 4.
“[W]e talk about everything,” Reid said. “So there’s nothing happening there, but we know what you know — that he’s out there and cranking away, trying to get himself back to where he can play, period.”
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There’s another factor when it comes to Hill. As one source put it during our time in Indianapolis, it could be an even more important concern than his knee.
Hill remains the subject of a lingering Personal Conduct Policy investigation, arising from domestic violence allegations made by his estranged wife. And, at times, Hill has been hard to handle. Discontent in Kansas City, coupled with a desire for a new contract after Davante Adams signed with the Raiders in 2022, sparked a trade to Miami while Hill was still squarely in his prime. At the end of the 2024 season, Hill said it was time for him to leave the Dolphins. (He later embarked on a Super Bowl-week apology tour.)
When a player has elite skills, the other stuff can more easily be overlooked. When the skills begin to slip, it’s harder to ignore the factors that make a player less desirable.
At this point, Hill could become a player that teams will begin to seriously assess after free agency and the draft. Any team that hasn’t otherwise addressed the receiver position by early May could pivot to Hill.
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For now, it seems as if most if not all teams are content to focus on other options. When the dust settles on the usual paths for adding new players, Hill’s status could come into better focus.
Still, the first question is when and if he’ll be healthy. The second question is whether a team is willing to embrace a player who could be facing a suspension, and who could have a hard time dealing with being anything other than the No. 1 receiver and, in turn, the focal point of the passing game.
Adams has embraced being second fiddle to Puka Nacua in L.A. Hill may need to accept that same kind of role — and to convince a prospective team that, when he says it, he means it.
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