Dolphins GM: Tyreek Hill Asked to Return Punts for Team

He is one of the most dangerous returner specialists in the sport, but the position is dangerous.

The Dolphins traded for one of the NFL’s most dangerous weapons in former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill. On top of being a game-breaking talent on offense, Hill is also one of the most dangerous return-men in the game, and he wants that to be part of his role with his new franchise.

“Tyreek, the first thing he said was, ‘I want to make sure I’m back there, getting a couple of returns every game,’” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said Monday, per The Palm Beach Post. 

Hill can change a game on special teams, but kick and punt returns invite serious injury risk. The Chiefs significantly reduced his special teams role as he emerged as one of the NFL’s best wide receivers.

During his rookie year in 2016, Hill returned 39 punts and 14 kickoffs, scoring three total touchdowns. He added four kickoff returns in the playoffs that year.

He has not returned a regular-season kickoff since (he has two postseason kickoff returns), and his punt return numbers have dwindled. Hill returned 25 punts in 2017 and 20 punts in ’18, scoring a touchdown each year. Hill returned just one punt per year in ’19 and ’20, and did not field one during the ’21 regular season. He has 12 total playoff punt returns in his career, with two this past postseason.

Ultimately, he is a more valuable player on offense than on special teams, and Grier did not commit to any specific usage for Hill in that phase of the game.

“We’re fortunate with him, [Jevon] Holland, [Jaylen] Waddle,” Grier said. “We have guys that can do it. They’re all big contributors on their side of the ball as well. And we also have a couple other guys that can return. So we’re not really worried about the return game.”

The Dolphins sent 2022 first, second, and fourth-round NFL draft picks, along with ’23 fourth and sixth-round picks to the Chiefs for Hill. They also gave him a contract extension effectively worth three years and $75 million (with a fourth non-guaranteed year pushing the total to $120 million). 

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