Tyreek Hill: ‘I’ve got to prove myself’ to Dolphins after last season’s frustrations

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) - Tyreek Hill isn’t expecting his Miami Dolphins teammates to vote him team captain again.

Not after how last season ended - when the veteran wide receiver took himself out of the Dolphins’ regular-season finale against the New York Jets with no reported injury and hinted at wanting out of Miami afterward.

Hill has since diminished those actions as more frustration with a poor season than any serious desire to play elsewhere. Entering his fourth season in Miami, he’s aiming to show the Dolphins that he’s still a leader they can depend on.

"I’ve got to prove myself," Hill said after Wednesday’s session of organized team activities. "This OTAs, training camp, I got to prove myself. I’ve got to show up different. The mindset's got to be different.”

Hill added he doesn’t feel as if he deserves being selected team captain - he’s been one each of his previous three years - but "if I didn't get it, I wouldn't dwell on it. I wouldn't sweat it … because I put myself in that position."

Hill has spent the offseason recovering from two wrist procedures. His right wrist was heavily taped Wednesday - the one he had surgery on earlier this year to repair ligament damage after playing through the injury the entire 2024 season.

Hill did not participate in 7-on-7 drills during Miami’s first OTA practice that was open to reporters, but he did some individual work on the practice field and cheered on teammates during drills.

Afterward, he said he’s in a "better spot" than he was last season and was feeling zero pain. He’s expected to resume catching passes by training camp.

"Tyreek’s done a great job of being proactive of when he got the surgery done," coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday, "and then making sure that he is able to do as much as he can with the team, which has very much included his daily participation in how he attacks all of our strength program. … As we train his way back into recovery of that hand, then he’ll start catching the ball."

Hill was noticeably leaner when he spoke on Wednesday. He said he weighs 183 pounds now, down from around 197 when he first got to Miami.

"Obviously I can run with anybody, run by anybody," Hill said. "But I think having that endurance, having that ability to not get tired from third downs is very important. So I wanted to slim down and actually lose body fat."

He repeated his goal of reaching 2,000 yards receiving, something he came close to in 2023 but wasn’t able to achieve.

Hill led the NFL with 1,799 yards receiving that season for Miami. His 112.4 yards per game and 13 receiving touchdowns also led the NFL.

He came nowhere near replicating those numbers in 2024, finishing the season with 959 yards - his fewest since the 2019 season with Kansas City. And Miami’s offense took a step back in part because injuries sidelined starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa throughout the season.

Frustrations boiled over for Hill in the final game. By the second half of an eventual loss, Hill was out of the game. Afterward, he said he intended to “do what's best for me and my family. If that's here or wherever the case may be. I'm (going to) open that door for myself."

He’s remained in headlines for different reasons since then, whether for chatter that he plans to race Olympian Noah Lyles, or recently because of a domestic dispute with his wife, who has since filed for divorce.

Hill said he’s used therapy and church to cope with the drama of the past few months, while trying to put the frustrations of last season behind him.

"It's tough, man, but at the same time, I’ve got to understand what I'm trying to accomplish and what this team is trying to accomplish, too,” Hill said. “Because I want to be a part of something special. I want to win."

The Dolphins are still pursuing trade options for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey after both sides agreed to part ways.

Beyond that, McDaniel has little interest in discussing the details of what went wrong.

"Quite honestly. Zero has changed since the last time I said anything about him," McDaniel said Wednesday. "I’m very much interested in the players that I’m coaching on the field today."

Ramsey is due approximately $24 million in guaranteed money in 2025. The Dolphins would be in a better financial position if they wait until after June 1 to trade him, as it would clear about $10 million in cap space.

Ramsey was not seen at OTAs on Wednesday, and the Dolphins aren’t spending much time talking about his potential departure.

"Jalen’s my dog, but we’re kind of focused on the guys in the room right now,” cornerback Kader Kohou said. “We don’t talk about Jalen, we let the upstairs handle that situation."