After previously walking back the comments he made about wanting to leave Miami following a frustrating 2024 season, Tyreek Hill is now looking for a fresh start in 2025.
The Dolphins star opened up to reporters on the second day of Miami's organized team activities, saying he needs to once again prove himself as both one of the league's best wide receivers and as a reliable leader to his teammates.
"That's every day in this league," Hill said on Wednesday. "Every day, you've got to prove who you are, and it doesn't matter how much you've earned or how much success you've had in this league. It's always the next day mentality. That's something that my grandparents raised me by and that's something (head coach) Mike (McDaniel) preaches here in this locker room. Every day, I'm trying to prove myself as one of those guys that this team can depend on in crucial moments. I'ma stand on that too, though, just me as a person, as a player, as an individual. I try to carry myself in that way."
Hill furthered his point when asked if he wants to or feels he deserves to be a team captain again for the 2025 season.
"I gotta prove myself. This OTAs, training camp, I gotta prove myself," he said. "I gotta show up different. The mindset gotta be different. I don't feel like I deserve it, and if I didn't get it, I wouldn't dwell on it. I wouldn't sweat it because I put myself in that position."
Miami's frustrating 8-9 2024 campaign wasn't all on Hill. The Dolphins were out of sync offensively for most of the season and several injuries -- most notably to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who missed six games including their final two with a postseason berth on the line -- ultimately took a toll and the club fell short of the playoffs.
Hill flirted with career-low season totals before finishing with 81 receptions for 959 yards and six touchdowns, battling through a wrist injury to play in all 17 games. It was the first time in his nine-year career that he missed both the Pro Bowl and the playoffs, the latter omission he says influenced his frustrated comments at the end of the season.
"It was tough. Obviously, emotions were high then," said Hill, who appeared to take himself out of the Dolphins' regular-season finale. "At the end of the day, man, I'm just looking to move forward from that, hoping that I can prove to myself and prove to my teammates that I'm still one of them ones, man, who likes chasing 2K [receiving yards], still one of those ones chasing playoff dreams and all that great stuff."
Hill underwent offseason surgery on his right wrist and was seen wearing a protective brace during OTAs this week. Head coach Mike McDaniel, who deemed Hill's postgame comments and actions as unacceptable, told reporters Wednesday that he's encouraged by the wideout's proactive approach while recovering from his offseason surgery.
Hill produced consecutive 1,700-plus-receiving-yard campaigns in his first two years with the Dolphins and in McDaniel's high-flying scheme. The 31-year-old is looking to recapture that magic in 2025 with a newfound perspective following an unpleasant end to the last season.
"For one, s---, I'm going to church more and doing more therapy more," Hill responded when asked how he plans to deal with any frustrations going forward. "I've been finding that more of my side lately, just being more involved in that. Then, just understanding what coach is trying to do. I feel like when I first got here, I wouldn't say that I wasn't all the way bought in, but me having a better understanding of what he's trying to push throughout the locker room … now I understand him better. I understand Tua better, I understand Bev (offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell). Our new receiver coach (Robert Prince), me and him clicked immediately when he got here. Everybody's on the same page, man."
