By the end of last season, Miami’s offense looked like a shell of the unit that lit up the league for three months. Especially after Tyreek Hill tweaked his ankle in Week 14. From Weeks 1 through 13, Hill averaged just under 110 yards per game. After the injury? That number dropped by almost half. The ripple effect was obvious. Miami’s vertical attack lost its timing. The quick game stalled. Defenses adjusted, and the Dolphins never really counterpunched.

So as the Dolphins open training camp, Hill’s status matters. Probably more than most around the league realize. Yes, he’s healthy again. But the larger storyline is what he’s decided to do with the aftermath. On Day 1 of camp, Hill told reporters he’s in the best physical shape he’s been in since arriving in Miami. “Today was our conditioning test, and at 31 years old I’m going to say I haven’t lost a step,” he said. “I’m feeling great — that’s all I’m going to say.”

Hill didn’t dance around it Tuesday. He knows what 2024 looked like, and he’s not pretending otherwise. The numbers, 81 catches, 959 yards, six touchdowns, weren’t just below expectations; they marked his least productive full season since his second year in the league. It snapped his Pro Bowl streak at eight and exposed just how thin the Dolphins’ margin for error is when Hill isn’t at full capacity.

“This whole entire offseason I’ve been busting my tail,” Hill told reporters. “I told my dad — I want to see what it looks like when I just focus on football, on myself and family … I feel like I haven’t been giving the best version of Tyreek my whole entire career. I’ve always been trying to be here and be there, but me being able to slow down a little bit, train and bust my tail for myself and then also for this community and this team, I feel like it’ll be worth it.”

His low numbers weren’t entirely on him. The Dolphins spent much of the year battling injuries, including to both Hill and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, whose on-field chemistry had been the catalyst for Hill’s 2023 explosion. But even Hill knows he wasn’t himself.

This offseason, he was spotted competing in a 100-meter sprint at a California track meet, a nod to his ongoing public banter with Olympic champion Noah Lyles. The two had teased a footrace for months before Lyles ultimately withdrew. Hill raced anyway. And most importantly, he is not giving up.

While Hill’s clean bill of health is a major boost for the Miami Dolphins, it was his emotional self-reflection and call to lead that truly resonated, especially for a team still searching for direction after a turbulent finish to last season.

Tyreek Hill wants to own up now

Hill also spoke about his responsibility to the Dolphins organization, its fans, and the South Florida community, delivering a powerful message about growth, accountability, and the kind of leadership he believes this team desperately needs.

“My whole life, man. I’ve always been a competitor, though. My parents raised me that way. I enjoy winning and I know how to lose — but in those moments like that, I need to be better as a leader,” Hill admitted. He also acknowledged that Miami has embraced him and his family ever since his arrival via trade from Kansas City in 2022. That support, he says, deserves more than just elite performance on the field; it calls for accountability and guidance. “Ever since me and my family got here, this fan base has been special… whenever we meet people in the community, they’ve been great. So as a leader of this team and also as a leader of this community, I just need to be better in that sense.”

“There are a ton of little kids that look up to me as a player, as a role model. So I just gotta remind myself of that… then take hold of that and own it.” So the Dolphins don’t have to worry too much, even in days of uncertainty. Hill has clocked in mentally and physically. During OTAs and minicamp, Hill looked sharp and explosive, consistently winning one-on-one drills and setting the tone with his trademark intensity. Coaches noted his precision in route running and vocal leadership, both on the field and in the locker room.