Dolphins' Tyreek Hill vows to be 'better as a leader'

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was no longer the subject of trade rumors by the time veteran Dolphins players reported for training camp on Tuesday. 

While speaking with reporters at camp, Hill vowed that he will be "better as a leader" for a team that's facing plenty of uncertainty this summer. 

"We have a real nice chance to be special here this year. I think guys have matured a lot," Hill explained, as shared by Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN. "I've matured a lot. Coach has even matured a lot, so that's awesome, man. We are all growing together, having a great laugh in the locker room, so we're just going to continue to build."

Hill sparked drama when he controversially subbed himself out of Miami's regular-season finale versus the New York Jets this past January and then told reporters he was "out." Dolphins general manager Chris Grier later insisted that Hill never requested a trade, and Hill publicly apologized to Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and other teammates during a Super Bowl week interview.

"This whole offseason, I've been busting my tail," Hill said on Tuesday. "I told my dad -- I want to see what it looks like when I just focus on football, on myself and family...I feel like I haven't been giving the best version of Tyreek my whole entire career. I've always been trying to be here and be there, but me being able to slow down a little bit, train and bust my tail for myself and then also for this community and this team, I feel like it'll be worth it."

Per ESPN stats, Hill led a 2024 Dolphins team that went 8-9 with 959 receiving yards and 123 targets. He was tied for second on the club with six touchdown catches and was second with 81 total receptions. 

The Dolphins may need Hill to give "the best version" of himself to avoid going through a franchise reset in early 2026. It's believed that at least head coach Mike McDaniel could be shown the door if he fails to record a single playoff win for a fourth straight season with the organization. There's reportedly also "a world where this is Tagovailoa’s final season" with the Dolphins. 

"I got here through hard work and sometimes, when you get to a certain spot in your life where you want to be, you're kind of like, 'OK, it's cool now,'" Hill added. "Like I said, me being able to slow down my life a lot, enjoy my kids a little bit in this offseason, I realized that I've got to continue to grind, man."

As of Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Dolphins at +220 odds to make the playoffs for the upcoming season. Hill and Co. will look to offer a strong response to such forecasts when Miami opens the campaign with a Week 1 matchup at the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 7.