The Miami Dolphins players were surprised during Friday’s meeting when they saw Tyreek Hill waddling in. It was just three days after undergoing surgery to fix his season-ending injury that he suffered playing against the New York Jets. While the WR was there to motivate his teammates, fans quickly began speculating that his recovery might come sooner than expected. However, Dr. David Chao, who is a former NFL team doctor, doesn’t share that optimism.

“Tyreek Hill is already walking after surgery, but it’s actually not great news,” Chao said in a clip posted on X. “He is already up and walking with a walker. He has basically got a knee immobilizer on… But if you look at his gait closely, he appears to have a foot drop, which is peroneal nerve damage.

“He drags that left foot.

“The peroneal nerve is the most common nerve injured in a knee dislocation, like Hill had. And he appears to have a peroneal nerve palsy, which is a foot drop.”

Is it a permanent condition? Answering that critical question, Chao revealed, “Expect him to get an AFO. Hopefully, the nerve can recover. But it is news that confirms this significant injury. No artery damage but yes, some injury to the ligament. Had the first surgery. I still believe he’ll not need another one. But this peroneal nerve issue indicates a long road for recovery.”

For Hill, the nerve issue carries major implications. It looked like he would rebound after the worst season of his career in 2024. The receiver was averaging 66 receiving yards per game in the first three games of this season. He had even recorded his 67th receiving yard against the Jets before suffering the injury.

And if insider chatter is to be believed, it could have an impact on his future.

A release before the 2026 season was always a possibility, given the structure of his contract. Hill signed a contract last offseason: a three-year extension worth $90 million. However, the final year on the contract had a cap hit of nearly $52 million. Its purpose was to increase the average annual salary mark (that is a common metric for ranking player salaries).

The 2026 contract has over $29.9 million in non-guaranteed base salary and also includes 11 million in guaranteed salary if Tyreek Hill stays on the roster until the third day of the 2026 league year. But it doesn’t end there. He will also receive a $5 million roster bonus on the same day. That means the team would have to guarantee the 31-year-old as much as $16 million if he stays on the roster till March 14. All that said, the deal does not include any guaranteed money for injury.

Hence, insiders believe that Miami wouldn’t want to guarantee that kind of monetary resources if Hill isn’t able to pass a physical test before next season.

The Dolphins might release Hill in the future. Sure, his return to Miami can’t be ruled out, but the biggest factor if that were to happen would be Hill’s health. But for now, the team will have to do without him.

Following Hill’s injury, Miami’s coaching staff has been forced to look back at the drawing board. Their scheme weaponized speed, and Hill was that engine. With him now out for the season, Miami has to open routes for 5th-year wideout Jaylen Waddle.

That will shift the math for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

The Dolphins know it’s next-man-up, and they’re already pivoting and prepping for a season without their speedster.

The gears are shifting in Miami

Tyreek Hill’s surgery went great. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, sounded optimistic when he laid out an early 2026 season return timeline. Rosenhaus has clarified that Hill wants to stay with the Dolphins upon his return. But with the cap hit the Dolphins now take with Hill out, the negotiations might be harder. But 2026 is still a long way away. For now, Miami is focused on the pivot.

The Dolphins needed a familiar burst of speed. HC Mike McDaniel understood this perfectly when he noted on Friday: “I think when you lose players of that magnitude, it’s never done with one human being. It’s the execution of the overall group at all positions that make up the difference.”

The coach believes he has motivated players on the roster, and he aims to make the most of it. Enter: Cedrick Wilson Jr. The team signed the familiar wideout for depth out of the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad.

Wilson has two seasons’ worth of experience in Miami’s offense, and the hope around him is for plug-and-play stability. With Waddle taking most of the pressure as the new WR1, Wilson will fit in behind him for much-needed depth.

While Wilson cannot replicate Hill’s chaos, he will give Tagovailoa options. October kicks up the drama, and after logging their first win of the season in Week 4, Miami isn’t fading. As they gear up to face the Carolina Panthers, we’ll see how the new offensive blueprint holds up.