Tyreek Hill Poised for Free Agency After Dolphins Move, Faces Recovery and Uncertain Market
Tyreek Hill is set to enter the free-agent market this March after the Miami roster made clear he no longer fits its plans. The star receiver, recovering from a season-ending knee injury sustained on Sept. 29, 2025 (ET), will turn 32 on March 1 and faces a pivotal decision about his playing future while teams evaluate his health and price.
Why the Dolphins are moving on
The organization has decided to clear cap space and retool its offensive roster, and Hill is among the veterans who don’t appear in those plans. Hill’s contract extension signed following his blockbuster arrival carried significant cap implications; the deal had been structured to run through the 2026 season and would have created a large hit on the books. With a torn ACL and other left-knee damage that required surgery after the late-September injury, the team elected to part ways as it prepares for the coming season.
On the field, Hill remained an elite playmaker in his time with the franchise. He posted All-Pro honors in his first two seasons with the club and finished his Miami tenure with strong counting numbers: in 54 games he recorded 340 catches for 4, 733 yards and 27 touchdowns. But postseason success proved elusive, and the combination of injury, age and salary figure into the decision to release a once-franchise-defining player.
Health, timeline and how the market will view him
Hill’s left knee surgery addressed a torn ACL and related damage that sidelined him for the 2025–26 season. Rehabilitation for an elite receiver returning from that type of knee injury typically spans 9–12 months to regain functional strength and route sharpness, with some variance depending on individual recovery. Teams evaluating Hill will balance optimism about his work ethic and historic speed with caution about whether he can return to pre-injury explosiveness.
Age and contract expectations complicate the free-agent picture. Hill will be 32 at the start of free agency, an age when teams often favor shorter, incentive-laden deals for playmakers coming off major injury. The market will likely focus on one-year prove-it contracts or multi-year deals with low guaranteed money and performance-based escalators. For Hill, the choice will also be personal: he has publicly said the decision to keep playing depends on how he feels mentally and physically and conversations with family.
Potential suitors and next steps
Interest in Hill is expected across the league. A reunion with his former team has been floated by prominent teammates who want him back in the fold — that franchise’s leadership and personnel will weigh whether a reunion is a strategic fit and financially feasible. Other clubs with veteran quarterback situations or a need for a top-tier vertical threat could view Hill as a high-upside addition if medical evaluations are favorable.
Agents and team medical staffs will now play central roles. Hill’s representatives will outline rehabilitation progress and long-term health outlook at pre-free agency medicals. Clubs will conduct their own exams and project how quickly he could be integrated into an offense. If Hill opts to continue playing, the coming weeks will be a negotiation between his desire for security and teams’ risk management strategies.
Beyond football, Hill has weathered off-field scrutiny in recent years and acknowledged the toll of the sport on his body and mind. He has been candid about needing family conversations to decide whether to extend his career, leaving both his own future and the potential for a high-profile landing spot unresolved as the league heads toward March free agency.
