The Phinsider
The Miami Dolphins players had their exit interviews with the coaching staff on Monday. Several players met with the media as well, with wide receiver Tyreek Hill a major talking point.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill made headlines on Sunday when he appeared to take himself out of the team’s Week 18 game against the New York Jets, then indicated after the game he is looking to move on from the Dolphins. Hill, speaking to the media immediately after Miami’s 32-20 loss to New York, said, “ For me, I have to do what’s best for me and my family. If that’s here, or if that’s wherever the case may be. I’m fixing to open that door for myself. I’m opening the door. I’m out. It was great playing here, but at the end of the day, I have to do what’s best for my career.”
That did not sit well with Dolphins fans. For Dolphins players, they seemed to want to keep clear of the drama, even if they did not agree with Hill’s comments.
Hill, elected as a team captain, finished the year with 81 receptions for 959 yards and six touchdowns. It marked the first time he was below 1,000 yards receiving since an injury-shortened 2019 season. This was also the first time in his career Hill was not selected to the Pro Bowl. Hill, it seems, did not take well to his low statistical performance this season, adding in his post-game comments, “I’m too much of a competitor to be just out there.”
On Monday, Dolphins players had exit interviews with the coaching staff. While a lot of the discussion was about how the team can improve for next year, when some of the players met with the media, the talk quickly turned to Hill’s actions and comments.
“I’m not going to speak for Tyreek respectfully,” tight end Jonnu Smith said. “Tyreek spoke for himself. I can only speak for myself. We’re all men. We all feel differently about certain things. We handle situations differently and rightfully so he handled the situation how he felt he should’ve handled it.”
Defensive tackle Zach Sieler took a similar tone in replying to the media, saying, “Yeah, I saw [Hill’s comments]. I think everyone has their own voice and if that’s what he wants to say, that’s what he wants to say. I have all the respect for him as a player. If that’s how he feels, that’s how he feels. So we’ll leave it at that.”
Sieler then added, “Obviously, it’s a knee-jerk reaction. That stuff happens and I don’t know what happened. I’m not going to speak for him or speak on that. That’s his own decision, but I know as a team that we need to stay focused this year on making sure everyone’s here and making sure we’re on time and we’re focused on winning it all next year and making the corrections from this season going into OTAs and camp this year.”
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