Dolphins release Tyreek Hill: Answering the biggest questions
Early on Feb. 16, 2026 ET the Dolphins moved on from five-time first-team All-Pro Tyreek Hill, a shock in timing if not in outcome. The decision lands as a new regime begins reshaping the roster and as Hill works back from a serious knee injury. Below: why the cut came now, what Hill’s recovery looks like and which teams could pursue him in the coming weeks.
Why Miami pulled the trigger
The decision was driven by a mix of performance regression, salary-cap math and a front-office reset. Hill’s production dipped in the two seasons after his early success with the team; over 2024 and 2025 he totaled 102 catches for 1, 224 yards and seven touchdowns. His 2025 campaign ended in Week 4 with a dislocated knee and torn ACL, and he failed to reach 1, 000 receiving yards in 2024.
Financially, Hill’s profile had shifted. He had reworked a lucrative extension after the 2022 season that moved a record amount of guaranteed money for a skill player into earlier years, but he carried a heavy $51. 1 million cap charge in 2026 with no guaranteed money left for the year. Releasing him now creates immediate savings while incurring roughly $28 million in dead cap this season and about $23 million in direct savings — a trade-off the new leadership was prepared to make.
More broadly, the roster move signals a clear philosophical change. The new coach and general manager have signaled a preference for rebuilding through the draft and installing a new culture; parting ways with older, higher-paid veterans is one of the quickest ways to accelerate that process. Hill’s age, recent injury and contract size made him the sort of veteran the front office was likely to cut as it retools the roster.
Health, timeline and roster implications
Hill’s knee injury — a dislocation and torn ACL suffered in Week 4 of the 2025 season — is the dominant question on his marketability. He has said he is "feeling good" about his rehab, but the combination of joint trauma and ligament reconstruction is significant, especially for a player whose game relies on elite explosion and suddenness.
Realistically, the injury could cost Hill much of the offseason and potentially limit him early in the 2026 regular season. At 31, returning to pre-injury form is uncertain; medical progress, surgical outcome and rehab diligence will all dictate how quickly he can ramp back to full speed. Teams considering him must weigh upside against availability and likely insist on a contract structure that reflects that uncertainty.
From a roster-construction standpoint, Hill’s release frees cap space that teams can deploy in free agency or on retooling the draft. For Miami, the move is part of a broader set of cuts that clear significant cap room and allow the front office to remake the roster quickly before the draft and free-agent market open.
Where he might land and timing for suitors
Even banged-up, Hill remains one of the most dynamic playmakers of the last half-decade. Teams with quarterback questions, a need for a high-end vertical threat and the patience to protect a recovering veteran could pursue him. Several fits that make sense from a schematic and situational standpoint include franchises poised to add a veteran target for a rookie or young quarterback; clubs that can absorb a short-term physical limitation in exchange for long-term upside; and teams with offensive minds familiar with how to use him as both a primary option and a space-creating decoy.
Practical timing matters. The legal tampering window opens on March 9, and the new league year begins at 4: 00 p. m. ET on March 11. Because Hill was released now, teams can begin discussions immediately in the run-up to those dates, and any deal will likely reflect his injury risk — shorter term, lower guarantees and incentives tied to availability and performance are probable.
Expect interest from teams willing to gamble on high upside in exchange for prudent contract terms. Whether Hill can land a deal that balances his recovery timeline with a team’s immediate needs will be one of the offseason’s most-watched storylines as free agency approaches.
