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Tyreek Hill is expected to be a cap casualty this year
One of the primary reasons the Miami Dolphins took a step back in 2025 was the absence of superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Hill suffered a dislocated knee in the third quarter of the Dolphins’ Monday Night Football game against the Jets. He was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Following the devastating injury, Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, stated that after the surgery, the expectation was that Hill would be ready in Week 1 of the 2026 season. However, it seems increasingly unlikely that Hill will be a member of the Dolphins in the 2026 season.
Miami Dolphins Expected to Release Tyreek Hill
Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson explored ways in which the Dolphins could free up cap space for the 2026 season. According to Spotrac, the Dolphins are currently 28th in the NFL in available cap space. Jackson mentioned cutting Hill as a way to free up cap space, saying, “Dolphins almost assuredly will release Hill before mid-March.”
On the salary cap ramifications of the move, Jackson said, “Because that contract carries a $51.9 million cap hit, there was virtually no chance that Hill would have returned on that deal — even before the injury. If the Dolphins, as expected, cut Hill before the $11 million becomes guaranteed in March, his 2026 cap hit would drop from $51.9 million to $28.2 million.” Regarding what Miami will likely do, Jackson added, “Though waiting until June 1 would be tempting to get that additional $12 million in 2026 cap savings, the Dolphins likely need the $24 million in cap savings simply to be cap compliant. And they likely need to use the post-June 1 cuts on other players.”
What Jackson says aligns with what has been reported since Hill suffered the injury. However, many expected him to be a post-June 1 designation; however, an NFL team can only use two post-June 1 designations per offseason and the Dolphins may be more inclined to use those slots on players like Tua Tagovailoa and Bradley Chubb.
Hill’s Reaction to the News
After the season ended, Hill has been making noise on social media. With a pair of posts on X, he leaned into possibly going to the Chargers reuniting with former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel or going back to the Chiefs and reuniting with offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Once the news that the Dolphins will cut him before mid-March made the rounds, Hill reacted on X with an emoji of a smiley face with sunglasses.
Hill’s agent had previously said that he would have conversations with the Dolphins front office once the season ended to discuss the wide receiver’s future. It is possible that Hill’s future has already been discussed and revealed to the agent, while we’re just waiting for the transaction to be made official. Hill’s market coming off a major injury as a receiver who will be 32 years old will be interesting, as he’s likely not going to command a major salary.
If Hill’s expected departure becomes a reality, he would leave the Dolphins having had the two best seasons by a wide receiver in franchise history.
Jose Esquer Jose Esquer is a Mexican-American sportswriter and communications student based in San Diego, CA. His work spans football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. He has written for platforms like RotoWire and DolphinsTalk. You can find him on Twitter/X @JEsquer8, usually talking Dolphins, world football, or both. More about Jose Esquer
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