Dolphins release Tyreek Hill in President's Day salary-cap purge
On Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 (ET), the Miami Dolphins announced the release of five-time All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill as part of a broad, cost-saving roster overhaul. The move — the most startling of several cuts made on President's Day — clears immediate cap room but leaves major questions about Hill's playing future and the state of Miami's receiving corps.
Hill's injury and free-agent outlook
Hill, 31, is currently rehabilitating from a serious knee injury sustained in Week 4 of the 2025 season, when he suffered a dislocated knee and torn ligaments. At the time of the injury he had 21 catches for 265 yards and one touchdown on the season. With $11 million of his contract set to become fully guaranteed this month, the release removes that imminent financial obligation.
Over a decorated career that includes eight Pro Bowl nods and five All-Pro selections, Hill amassed 11, 363 receiving yards and 83 touchdowns on 819 receptions. After being traded to Miami ahead of the 2022 season, he delivered back-to-back campaigns of 1, 700-plus receiving yards, and in 2023 he led the league with career highs in yards (1, 799) and receiving touchdowns. Entering his age-32 season as a free agent, Hill can sign with a new team immediately rather than waiting for the start of the new league year in March, but the severity of his knee injury and his age make his short-term outlook uncertain.
Cap mechanics and roster shakeup
The release of Hill came amid a flurry of moves that dramatically alter Miami's salary-cap picture. Earlier on Monday the organization moved on pass rusher Bradley Chubb, offensive guard James Daniels and wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in a sequence intended to create breathing room under the 2026 cap. The four cuts together free more than $56 million in 2026 cap space; the club had been roughly $17. 4 million over the cap less than 24 hours earlier.
The team has formally announced the departures of Hill, Westbrook-Ikhine and Daniels. Chubb has not been officially released and could be designated as a post-June 1 cut, a mechanism that would spread cap hits and deliver larger immediate savings in 2026. The cap relief gives the front office room to pursue free-agent targets and to maneuver around the No. 11 overall pick the club holds in April's draft.
What it means for Miami's receiver room and the franchise
Hill's exit accelerates a wide receiver rebuild in Miami. With his departure and Westbrook-Ikhine's release, only two receivers on the current roster logged double-digit catches last season: Jaylen Waddle and Malik Washington. Other contributors such as Cedrick Wilson and D'Wayne Eskridge are pending free agents. The roster shakeup, together with the defensive moves, marks a clear break from prior personnel constructed under the previous coaching regime.
Beyond the personnel vacuum at receiver, the cut intensifies questions around the quarterback position and the broader direction of the franchise. The organization has moved swiftly to retool after back-to-back losing seasons following consecutive playoff appearances earlier in the last coaching era. Leadership has framed the moves as a necessary reset in Year 1 of the new coaching and general manager regime.
For Hill, the next chapter is open but furtive. He leaves Miami after four seasons, his role as one of the game's fastest and most dangerous deep threats now shadowed by a significant knee injury. Teams weighing his production and pedigree must balance the possibility of diminished explosiveness against a still-impressive career résumé. Whether Hill seeks a fresh start elsewhere or a reunion with a former team will depend on his recovery and on the market that emerges in the weeks ahead.
