Did Tyreek Hill retire? No, but the speedy wide receiver won’t be suiting up for the Miami Dolphins for the rest of the 2025 season. And he might not play for the team again.
Hill will be recovering today when the Dolphins host the Los Angeles Chargers. He suffered a brutal knee injury two weeks ago in a Monday Night Football game. Fans could tell it was a season-ending injury as he was being carted off the field at Hard Rock Stadium, a downer especially since was off to possibly his best game of the season. Tua Tagovailoa will need more help to rebound from a 1-4 start and save coach Mike McDaniel’s job.
The future is uncertain for the eight-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro regardless of his injury. The Dolphins could opt out of his contract after the season, and he is now facing extra scrutiny after his estranged wife accused him of eight instances of domestic abuse in their ongoing divorce proceedings. The NFL is investigating the allegations, the latest in a long string of violence that has followed Hill since his college days.
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Here’s what we know about Hill’s status, plus his contract and expected recovery time:
What happened to Tyreek Hill?
Tyreek Hill was seriously injured early in the second half of the Dolphins’ Monday Night Football game Sept. 30 against the New York Jets. With about 13:30 to go in the third quarter, Hill caught a 10-yard pass on the right side of the field and was brought down out of bounds by Malachi Moore. The defender landed on Hill’s left knee and as Moore rolled away, Hill’s foot could be seen pointing in an unnatural direction.
Medical personnel came onto the field to treat Hill, putting his left leg into an air cast. His mother came onto the field, kissing him on the forehead, while players from both teams knelt and huddled to support him. Hill stayed optimistic and was smiling and clapping as he was carted off the field and onto an ambulance, which took him to a nearby hospital.
Tyreek Hill injury update
Hill posted a video on Snapchat that was shared by Sun Sentinel reporter David Furones. The wideout said he was doing “fantastic” recuperating at home and that he was walking. “God has blessed to this point this far, man,” Hill said in the video. “… I really haven’t had time to think about the injury, it all happened so fast, but you know, great surgeon, great team, Dolphins, those guys take great care of me, and obviously my family, man, so the journey starts now.”
Hill was diagnosed with a dislocated knee and multiple torn ligaments, including his ACL. He had surgery Sept. 30, and Hill posted on social media Oct. 1 that it “went great.” His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said Hill did not require further surgeries. The Dolphins placed him on injured reserve Oct. 1.
The wideout was discharged from the hospital Oct. 2 and came to the team facility Oct. 3 “to make sure everyone was very motivated,” coach Mike McDaniel said.
“To see him in that moment and to see him so happy and stuff, considering what happened — despite what happened — it’s great for us,” receiver Malik Washington said to reporters.
Hill has battled injuries the past few seasons, getting knee surgery after the 2023 season and wrist surgery this past offseason.
Is Tyreek Hill out for the season?
Hill will miss the rest of the season and could be out longer, though Rosenhaus said Hill plans to return in time for Week 1 of next season, which would be Sept. 13, 2026. The Mayo Clinic says it takes up to 6 months before athletes can return to sports, while the Hartford Hospital puts the timetable at 9-10 months. Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is working toward returning about 11-12 months after dislocating his knee, while quarterback Teddy Bridgewater needed more than 13 months to return to the active roster after his knee dislocation in 2016.
Will Tyreek Hill play again?
Hill fully intends to play in the NFL again. But if he does return next season, it might not be with the Dolphins. His contract has an opt-out after this season, and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones said in a report Oct. 4 that league sources told him the Dolphins expect to release him before the start of the 2026 NFL year on March 11.
According to Spotrac, none of the $36 million Hill is owed in 2026 is guaranteed, though NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported $11 million (plus a $5 million roster bonus) would become fully guaranteed if he remains on the Dolphins’ roster in March. Hill is set to carry a salary cap hit worth nearly $52 million in 2026. He has a dead cap value worth $28.2 million, meaning Miami would save roughly $23.7 million against the cap if they release Hill early.
And that’s before the team considers Hill’s ongoing divorce case in which Keeta Vaccaro, his estranged wife, accused him of multiple incidents of domestic violence. In court documents made public Oct. 7, Vaccaro said Hill ripped at her hair, tried to punch her stomach while she was pregnant and spit in her face, among other incidents. An attorney for Hill has denied the claims.
Dolphins depth chart
With Tyreek Hill out for the season, here’s a look at the rest of the wide receivers on Miami’s roster, along with their injury status:
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Did Tyreek Hill retire? Injury update on Dolphins receiver
Reporting by Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
