The Miami Dolphins have released wide receiver Tyreek Hill, ending a high-profile tenure that included record-setting production and recent injury setbacks. Multiple reports confirmed the move Monday, making the eight-time Pro Bowler an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career.
Hill, 31, had signed a reworked three-year, $90 million extension in 2024 that pushed his average annual salary higher but left significant non-guaranteed money in the final season. His 2026 cap number was set to exceed $51 million, including a $29.9 million base salary. An additional $11 million would have become fully guaranteed early in the league year, along with a $5 million roster bonus. By releasing him before those guarantees triggered, Miami avoids taking on that added commitment, though the team will absorb a sizable dead cap charge. Reports indicate the Dolphins will save roughly $22.8 million with the move.
Acquired in a 2022 trade from the Kansas City Chiefs, Hill made an immediate impact in Miami. In his first season with the Miami Dolphins, he posted a career-best 119 receptions for 1,710 yards and seven touchdowns. He followed that with an even more explosive 2023 campaign, leading the NFL with 1,799 receiving yards and 13 scores. He became the first player in league history to record at least 1,700 receiving yards in consecutive seasons, earning first-team All-Pro honors and MVP consideration as Miami went 11-6.
Over 54 games with the Dolphins, Hill totaled 340 catches, 4,733 yards and 28 touchdowns. For his career, he has 96 total touchdowns — 30th-most in NFL history and fifth among active players — and averages 78.4 receiving yards per game, one of the highest marks the league has seen.
Hill is currently rehabbing a serious knee injury suffered in Week 4 last season — a dislocated knee and torn ACL that ended his year. It remains uncertain whether he will be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign. Earlier this month, he shared that he had begun walking without a brace. Despite the setback and off-field scrutiny involving domestic-dispute allegations made by his estranged wife, Keeta Vaccaro, Hill has not suggested he plans to retire. “My focus right now is just playing ball and spending time with my kids and just doing what I’m best at: providing for my family,” Hill said recently. “So all the noise, I feel like if you allow that kind of stuff to get in the way of what you’re trying to do, it can only cloud what you’re really trying to get”
The release comes amid broader changes for the franchise. Miami hired Jeff Hafley as head coach in January, moving on from Mike McDaniel, and also parted ways with several veterans, including Bradley Chubb, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and James Daniels. Reports have also suggested the team could explore options at quarterback after Tagovailoa was benched late last season in favor of rookie Quinn Ewers, despite having significant guaranteed money due in 2026.
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