Trading Tyreek? Be Careful What You Wish For

The Miami Dolphins should think long and hard before they even entertain the idea of trading wide receiver Tyreek Hill
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) runs with the ball past New York Jets cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers (37), Sunday January 5, 2025, in East Rutherford.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) runs with the ball past New York Jets cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers (37), Sunday January 5, 2025, in East Rutherford. / Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Miami Dolphins seemingly have a Tyreek Hill problem, based on his comments after the team's final game of the 2024 season, and a simple solution is to move on and trade him in the offseason.

Voila! Problem solved.

The Dolphins don't have to deal with the constant turbulence the explosive (in more ways than one) wide receiver brings, they rid the locker room of somebody who said he wanted to go somewhere else, and maybe it helps with a culture that seemingly has given the players too much power.

It makes sense in a lot of ways, and it's a move that would please a not insignificant portion of the fan base tired to Hill's antics, particularly after he didn't have the numbers in 2024 to make easier to put up with all the shenanigans.

But hold up.

First, does Hill still want to be traded? Remember, GM Chris Grier said a week ago he had not received a formal request from Hill and said he and head coach Mike McDaniel had "productive" conversations with their star wide receiver.

Hill himself has gone radio silent on social media, with only Twitter posts related to his Soul Runner store in the past week since January 7 when he posted about people needing to respect him and how his teammates never would question his dedication.

So it's not clear at this time whether Hill does want to be traded (or merely was talking out of frustration after the end of a disappointing season) and whether the Dolphins would accommodate him.

But there's another big question that needs to be asked: Would trading Tyreek really be the best move for the Dolphins if he indeed does want out?

The answer from here is a pretty strong no, and we can think of three clear reasons.

CAP CONSIDERATIONS

The Dolphins would have been in a favorable cap position to do anything they wanted with Hill this offseason had they not decided to grant him his wish of a new contract last August, a few days after they signed Tua Tagovailoa to his lucrative extension.

As it stands now, there will be cap ramifications if the Dolphins move on from Hill, whether via trade or the extremely unlikely route of releasing him.

If the Dolphins trade Hill, they'll have to eat $28 million of cap space for 2025, but that number goes down to $13 million if it's a post-June 1 trade. Put another way, Hill currently has a $27.7 million cap number for 2025 and that number would go down to $12.7 million if Hill is traded after June 1, though he wouldn't be on the team anymore.

This is the time where we remind everyone the Dolphins right now are some $12 million OVER the 2025 salary cap, per overthecap.com. So having a $12.7 million cap number for somebody no longer on the roster (also known as dead cap) is painful.

THE DIMINISHING RETURN

Had the Dolphins wanted to trade Hill last offseason, they would have been in a significantly better position in terms of leverage because his market value might have been at its peak after his brilliant 2023 season and with a contract a team easily could have walked from early or restructured.

Hill's trade value has taken a major hit now after Hill battled injuries throughout the 2024 season and failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards, more off-the-field noise and turmoil, and another year of wear and tear on his body.

Because that's what websites do in 2025, we've already seen all sorts of projected trades involving Hill, and the best offer we've seen for the Dolphins was a 2025 second-round pick from the Los Angeles Chargers.

Others have included a combination of later picks, such as a third and a fifth.

In either case, it's pretty clear the Dolphins would get lesser talent in return and make the move with the idea of adding by subtracting, much like the Buffalo Bills did when they jettisoned Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans this offseason.

Except that Hill is a more impactful player than Diggs at this time. Much more.

OFFENSE WOULDN'T BE THE SAME ... AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY

And this is where we get to why trading Hill makes zero sense unless the Dolphins get a return package that surpasses expectations or having him on the roster in 2025 simply would be too toxic.

Put very simply, the Dolphins are not nearly as good a team offensively or overall without Tyreek Hill on the roster.

Plain and simple.

He may not have had the best season of a Dolphins offensive player in 2024, that honor belonging to either De'Von Achane or Jonnu Smith or maybe even Tua Tagovailoa, but he's still clearly the team's best player.

And if the Dolphins are going to rebound in 2025 and return to the playoffs, they'll need their offense to go back to its 2022 or 2023 form, and it was Hill who was the biggest difference-maker on those teams (evidenced by his two team MVP awards).

If anyone wants to suggest not having Hill might prompt the Dolphins to adopt a more physical style, one better suited to succeed in late-season games and the playoffs, understand the Dolphins are going to tweak their offense at most.

The Dolphins are running it back with Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel next season, and the key figures on offense will remain Tua, Jaylen Waddle, Achane and Smith, who without exception are finesse and/or speed specialists.

The style ain't going to change drastically, period.

And Tyreek Hill is the foundational piece of that offense.

The Dolphins will not be as good offensively without him. Even without as many catches or yards in 2024, his mere presence loosened up defenses and helped Smith and Achane put up good numbers in the passing game.

The Dolphins flat-out need Hill for their offense to operate as well as it can, and there is no on-field scenario where they're better off without him.

So, again, the Dolphins have zero reason to trade him unless his presence and attitude become detriments to the team.

And for fans tired of his act, we get it. It does get old. But it comes with the whole package, and it's not as though he wasn't a big personality before he got to Miami.

So if you want him gone, cool, but just be careful what you wish for.


Published
Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.