MIAMI GARDENS — Tyreek Hill’s offseason project of mending fences with his Miami Dolphins teammates is an unqualified success in the eyes of general manager Chris Grier.
Grier praised Hill, a receiver, for working “tirelessly” to restore teammates’ faith following his tirade at last season’s finale against the New York Jets.
It includes regaining the trust of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who said during training camp that his relationship with Hill was a work in progress requiring time.
“I know everyone’s making comments about him and Tua, but those two have been closer than I’ve seen them ever before,” Grier said. “So it’s been really cool watching him embrace his teammates and them embrace him.”
Hill pulled himself out of the second half of the Jets game. In the locker room minutes later, he complained that missing the playoffs for the first time in his career was something he could not accept and that he wanted out of Miami.
Tyreek Hill insists he still wants to be a Dolphin
Hill has since insisted he wants to remain a Dolphin.
But it wasn’t as simple as that in Tagovailoa’s eyes.
“I’m not the only one that heard that,” Tagovailoa said. “You guys aren’t the only people that heard that. A lot of people that follow football, that follow the Miami Dolphins, that follow Tyreek, that are fans of his. Everyone has seen that. So when you say something like that, it’s, you don’t just come back from that with, ‘Hey, my bad.’ You’ve got to work that relationship up.”
Tagovailoa’s comments were “needed,” Hill said in response.
“I’m just holding myself accountable, man,” Hill said. “I think Tua’s comments were needed, you know what I’m saying? He’s obviously the leader of our team, so he sets the standard. So I’m just trying to be the best teammate, best version of myself for this team I can be. Every day, showing up to meetings.”
And Hill has done just that, Grier said.
“You’ve seen him at the joint practices, on the sidelines during games,” Grier said. “He is 100 percent invested. He’s in the joint practices over there talking smack to the other team in the middle when things are happening. It’s been fun to watch. His teammates are all 100 percent behind him.”
Grier added, “Tyreek has been unbelievable since the whole offseason after he got his wrist surgery here. He’s been around every day. He is working tirelessly with his team. I think he’s closer to a lot of his teammates than he’s ever been.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill, Tua Tagovailoa closer than ever, GM Chris Grier says
Reporting by Hal Habib, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
