One pivotal loss was all it took to unravel Miami’s mid-season resurgence. The Miami Dolphins‘ decision to bench quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sent ripples through the organization, but the most immediate reaction came from star wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who dropped a cryptic two-character message that has the NFL world buzzing.

Hill took to X and posted a simple message: “✌🏾.”

On the surface, it looked like just another peace sign from the star receiver. But context matters. Along with the emoji, Tyreek Hill shared a meme of a person flashing the peace sign before disappearing, which gave the post a very different tone.

Hill has been sidelined for the rest of the season after tearing multiple ligaments in his knee, including his ACL, back in September. He’s already had surgery and is deep into rehab. So while he’s not on the field, he’s clearly still plugged in and very active on social media. And the timing wasn’t subtle.

A Monday Night Football loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers slammed the door shut. Just days later, Miami made the call to bench Tua again, a decision that immediately raised eyebrows across the league.

The moment news broke that Tua would no longer start for the remainder of the season, Hill’s post went up almost immediately. No caption. No clarification. Just the emoji. Naturally, it raises the obvious question: what exactly was Hill trying to say? At first glance, it might feel like a farewell or at least frustration tied to his quarterback being benched.

But there’s another layer here. Earlier this season, Tyreek Hill openly talked about the possibility of retirement with his family, especially after suffering his season-ending knee injury.

“I’m at the point now where I need to have a conversation with mom, family, everybody. Wherever my mind is at the time, the decision will be made, but I know right now, I haven’t had time to live in the moment,” he said, during an appearance on his former teammate Terron Armstead’s podcast The Set With T. Stead.

So when you connect the dots, the Dolphins’ quarterback decision may be just another factor pushing Hill to think big. The peace sign might not be about leaving Miami specifically. It might be about uncertainty, full stop. Right now, everything is on the table. Hill is rehabbing. He could choose to retire and focus on family. He could return next season, given that he’s under contract with the Dolphins through 2026.

On top of that, Tyreek Hill could also seek a trade, given that Tua’s future in Miami is now uncertain after his benching.

Why did the Dolphins bench Tua Tagovailoa?

At first glance, benching Tua Tagovailoa after the Steelers’ loss sounds awkward, almost reactionary, considering the previous four-game winning streak. But when you zoom in on the details, it becomes easier to see why Mike McDaniel felt a change was necessary. For starters, Tua wasn’t exactly lighting up the stat sheet during that stretch.

Across the four wins, he averaged just 157 passing yards per game, throwing three touchdowns and three interceptions, and didn’t reach 175 yards in any of those games. The wins were real, but the passing production was modest. Because of that, Miami leaned heavily on the run game to get through those weeks. And context matters even more when you look at the competition.

After the impressive 30–13 upset of the Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins’ next three wins came against teams with a combined 11–31 record. The streak boosted confidence, sure. But it didn’t fully answer the bigger questions. Even in the loss to Pittsburgh, Tua’s box score looked solid. He went 22-of-28 for 253 yards, threw two touchdowns and one interception, and posted one of his better passer ratings of the season.

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But the result still mattered most. Miami lost 28–15, and with that defeat, their playoff hopes were effectively crushed. That’s where the pivot came. Now, with the season slipping away and the offense still searching for consistency, the Dolphins are reportedly set to move forward with rookie Quinn Ewers, a seventh-round draft pick, as their starting quarterback.

As for 2026, it remains to be seen if Tua will stick around or if the Dolphins will move on.