Tyreek Hill’s Priorities Are In the Right Place For Miami
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Miami fans are going to be familiar with Pat Riley, who delivered the Miami Heat their first NBA Title in 2006. One of his famous contributions to sports cliches is “The Disease of More.” It goes like this: Once you win, everyone wants more stats, more glory, and more money, and it can easily derail a team from repeating.
The Miami Dolphins arguably benefitted from The Disease of More hitting the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs won a Super Bowl in 2019, but two seasons later, it came time to pay Tyreek Hill. Hill had every right to seek out a contract as the highest-paid receiver in the league, but rather than do that, Kansas City broke up the band by flipping him to the Fins.
The Dolphins haven’t gotten to where they want to be, losing two straight Wild Card playoff games, but it isn’t because of Hill. “The Freak” turned in the first consecutive 1,700-yard receiving seasons in NFL history and led one of the most explosive offenses in the league. But despite the lack of playoff success, it’s time again for Hill to get more.
The wide receiver market is heating up, with Justin Jefferson receiving the biggest non-quarterback deal in NFL history. AJ Brown and Amon-Ra St. Brown also surpassed Hill’s $30 million per season, and Hill again has the right to expect more.
Hill does, which again, of course he does. He deserves it, and said as much earlier this week, speaking to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. “For guys like me, that’s great. I’m 30 years old. I’m also looking for a new deal. Very excited to see where I fit into that category.”
Unlike Coach Riley, who’s on the executive side of sports economics, any fan should be happy to see a star player get their money. The problem is whether wanting more could mean Miami has to move on the way Kansas City once did. Fortunately, Hill seems to know he’s in a good spot, and is saying all the right things to indicate a long-term future with the Dolphins.
“The real goal is to win the Super Bowl,” says Hill. “It’s cool to get paid, but being able to win a Super Bowl and bring something special to the city of Miami is something that can live with us forever.”
It doesn’t sound like Hill is seeking to take less than what he’s worth, but his attitude doesn’t suggest he’s seeking to redefine the market all over again. That makes sense, as Hill is already one of the highest-paid players at his position in league history. His $91 million career earnings rank 16th all-time, and his next contract will easily catapult him into the top-10, and probably higher. Hill’s future should already be fairly secure.
Hill isn’t looking for an extension now, which means a lot of his next contract is going to be riding on this upcoming year. If Hill can even approach his averages of 1,700 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns over his first two years in Miami, he’ll have a real case to be higher-paid than even Jefferson. If the elite speedster takes a step back, he’ll still get paid, but Miami would have much more leverage negotiating with a 31-year-old.
Clearly, Hill knows the best thing to do is focus on dominating for another year and helping the Dolphins get their first Super Bowl Championship since 1974, and his first since 2019. Whereas we’re seeing players like Brandon Aiyuk and Amari Cooper engaged in tense contract negotiations, it’s a relief for Miami fans to know that their star receiver and team are on the same page.
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