After a stressful day, here’s some good news for the Dolphins. Tyreek Hill missed Wednesday’s practice but also traveled with the team and suited up for Thursday’s session at the Bears’ practice facility. Still, despite being back in pads, his impact on the field has been ineffective so far.

According to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, “[He] mostly did work on the side, but he was dressed for practice. Mike McDaniel speaks tomorrow morning, will be able to provide additional clarity.” During the camp, Hill was doing some light sprinting and lower-body stretches, which could be a sign of caution or just a slow return ramp. Either way, it’s unclear if he’ll take any real reps during Friday’s joint practice with the Bears.

Meanwhile, the vibe around practice shifted after a light-hearted jab from Hill to a teammate turned into something a bit more revealing. In a social media clip making the rounds, Hill jokingly told starting kicker Jason Sanders, “You better not miss a kick this year.” A classic locker room dig? Maybe.

But Sanders didn’t let it slide. He fired back, “If I do? You’d better not drop a ball this year!” And that’s hit different, especially considering 2024 was statistically Hill’s worst year as a pro—his first time finishing under 1,000 receiving yards despite starting at least 15 games. Plus, those post-season comments he made? Yeah, the ones that hinted at possibly moving on from the Dolphins? That added weight to Sanders’ clapback.

Still, to his credit, Tyreek Hill seems locked in now. Whatever issues he had, they’re not front and center this time around. With AFC juggernauts stacked across both the West and North, no one’s putting big money on Miami. But in The Magic City, getting Hill back to full speed is the first step.

Hill’s unavailability forces McDaniel to rethink Dolphins’ identity

Mike McDaniel isn’t sugarcoating what went wrong in 2024. “I think one of the things that was very clear is that defenses had spent their time figuring out how to make us perform in all facets,” he admitted in June. That’s as blunt as it gets from the usually upbeat coach of the Fins. His once-fast, unpredictable offense isn’t fooling anyone anymore. But while he’s focused on tweaking schemes, reality has thrown him a different curve—the absence of Tyreek Hill, his most dangerous weapon.

McDaniel, for his part, won’t address it again until Friday’s joint practice with the Bears. It’s the first stop on an 11-day road stretch that includes joint practices with the Lions and Jaguars. But until then, the mystery surrounding Hill’s condition only adds to the chatter — especially since this offseason was supposed to be about redemption for him after a rough 2024 and a public effort to win back trust in the locker room.

Still, the concern isn’t just that he’s hurt — it’s the timing. Hill’s 31 now. Injuries like these tend to linger, and that makes things murky. Even Tua had noted last year that Hill needed to “rebuild trust” with teammates. McDaniel had backed that up, calling it a good leadership moment. Hill took it seriously too: “If you want to be able to leave a legacy, you’ve got to be able to consistently do those kinds of things.”

But consistently staying healthy? That’s in doubt now. Sure, Tuesday had its flashes — Hill beat two guys deep, even if Tua underthrew it. Malik Washington also had a highlight moment. Yet, the offense hasn’t looked quite like early-McDaniel Dolphins. Without Hill, it’s clear something’s missing.

And while Hill’s 2024 wasn’t elite by his standards, his value hasn’t dipped. Miami built its entire offensive rhythm around him. If he misses more time, it’s not just a lineup shift—McDaniel might have to rethink everything.