CBS REPORT: Dolphins Likely To Release Tyreek Hill After the Season

CBS REPORT: Dolphins Likely To Release Tyreek Hill After the Season

NFL Insider Jonathan Jones of CBS is reporting league sources are telling him that the Miami Dolphins will likely release Tyreek Hill at the conclusion of the season. Such a move would open up approximately $36 million in salary cap space for the Miami Dolphins.

Per the CBS Report: “An outright release before the start of the 2026 league year was always on the table regardless of injury due to how Hill’s contract is structured. Last offseason he signed a deal that was reported as a three-year extension worth $90 million. But the final year of the deal had a cap hit of nearly $52 million and mostly served to increase the average-annual-salary mark that is used as the most common metric for ranking player salaries.

The 2026 contract year has $29.9 million in non-guaranteed base salary, including $11 million in guaranteed salary if Hill is on the roster on the third day of the 2026 league year. A $5 million roster bonus is due on the same day, meaning that the Dolphins would guarantee Hill $16 million if he’s on the roster come March 14. Because the final year was mostly cosmetic, the final year of the contract did not include money that would guarantee in the event of injury.

League sources view it as next to impossible the Dolphins would guarantee such money when Hill won’t be able to pass a physical at that point, meaning Miami would release the receiver before any 2026 dollar becomes guaranteed.”

Now, there is always a chance that Miami could restructure Hill’s deal if Hill and his agent are up for that.

It would allow Hill to stay in Miami.

However, there are numerous hurdles that must be overcome for this to happen.

One, Hill would have to be medically cleared and able to play in 2026, which is no sure thing.

Two, the NFL league investigation would have to clear Hill of any wrongdoing in the investigation into the eight domestic incidents that his ex-wife claims she suffered at the hands of Hill.

Three, who is deciding this for the Dolphins? Is it still Chris Grier and Mike McDaniel? Or is there a new GM and new head coach who has no ties to Hill and may want to move on?

And fourth, and most importantly, will Tyreek Hill have any more off-the-field incidents between now and next February/March when this decision will need to be made?

Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has said Tyreek had one surgery and no further surgeries are needed, and the goal is to be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season. Others, though, have said it is far too early to make that claim, as with the type of injury Hill suffered, his career may be over, or it may take longer than 12 months for him to get back on the football field.

And if he does come back, will he be anywhere near the same player he once was? That is the big question.