Last season wasn’t a pleasant experience for former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The Miami Dolphins star had his worst statistical year since 2019 catching 81 passes for 959 yards and six touchdowns as Miami stumbled to an 8-9 record, but what happened off the field may have done more damage than the 31-year-old’s performance on it.
Hill sounded off after the Dolphins’ season-finale against the New York Jets and declared “I’m out” after missing the playoffs for the first time in his career. While Hill is back in Miami, he has some damage control to do after he voiced his frustration and may have to regain his leadership role with the Dolphins as he reports to OTAs.
Former Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill Says He Has to ‘Prove Himself’ to Earn Captain's Role with Dolphins
Hill walked back his comments a few weeks after last season ended but he still needed to clean up the mess as he spoke to reporters on Wednesday. When asked if he felt like he deserved to be a team captain for 2025 after he appeared to take himself out of the game in the season finale, Hill delivered an introspective response.
“I gotta prove myself,” Hill said via NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. “This OTAs, training camp, I gotta prove myself. I gotta show up different. The mindset gotta be different. I don’t feel like I deserve ait and if I didn’t get it, I wouldn’t dwell on it. I wouldn’t sweat it because I put myself in that position.”
Tyreek Hill said he doesn’t feel he deserves to be a team captain again after actions in rough end of 2024 and offseason. His main focus is proving to his teammates they can trust him and increasing reliability/durability on field.
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) May 28, 2025
Common key phrase: prove it. pic.twitter.com/bz1xhHrvRP
While Hill also missed the Pro Bowl in a lost season, the Dolphins didn’t give him much help. Tua Tagovailoa missed six games due to injury and Hill played through a wrist injury that required offseason surgery. Although Hill chalked his comments up to frustration, head coach Mike McDaniel called them “unacceptable” but has also been pleased with the way Hill has attacked his recovery.
Hill has also been doing more than just getting himself ready physically for the offseason, He told reporters he’s been going to church and doing more therapy to correct himself off the field and has been working hard to adapt to the changes on the Dolphins’ staff.
“I’ve been finding that more of my side lately, just being more involved in that,” Hill explained via NFL.com’s Michael Baca. “Then, just understanding what coach is trying to do. I feel like when I first got here, I wouldn’t say that I wasn’t all the way bought in, but me having a better understanding of what he’s trying to push throughout the locker room … now I understand him better."
Of course, Chiefs fans may find these comments amusing for a player who has been explosive and controversial during his nine-year career. If Hill can get back to the form where he posted six 1,000-yard seasons in a seven-year stretch from 2017 to 2023, he shouldn’t have an issue getting his teammates to follow him again.
But as he continues through his 30s, it’s fair to wonder if he has that left in the tank.