Tyreek Hill‘s 2024 season started with hands behind his back, just one block from the Hard Rock. Miami-Dade PD had detained the Dolphins’ standout wide receiver ahead of the season opener. According to the Dolphins, it was a “traffic incident.” Hill said he was pulled over for just speeding. It didn’t stop him from torching the Jaguars’ defense with an 80-yard touchdown pass and then celebrating it with a ‘handcuff’ celebration.

Fast forward to 2025: Hill just underwent a second surgery for his wrist injury. And now Hill has returned, lighter, leaner, and fully aware of the situation. He’s dropped weight, sharpened his focus, and publicly admitted he doesn’t deserve to be a captain. “This OTAs, training camp, I gotta prove myself. I gotta show up different. The mindset gotta be different. I don’t feel like I deserve it,” Tyreek said in May. That humility is new. But so is the noise about another payday.

Tyreek Hill has never been shy about speaking up. Whether it’s calling out corners, coaching kids, or cryptically posting on social media, the man knows how to keep the narrative in motion. And according to Adam Schefter on The Pat McAfee Show, Hill’s story might still be in its ‘show me the money’ chapter. “He’s got a lot to prove. I’m sure with all the money going around to wide receivers, he’s going to want to get paid again,” Schefter said. “I think Tyreek Hill has a chance to really bounce back and have a big-time kind of year. I think that’s what people in the organization are expecting out of him this upcoming season.” Schefter just dropped hints that’s now got Dolphins fans nervously checking Spotrac. 

Tyreek Hill’s current contract is a three-year, $90 million extension signed in 2024 that expires in 2026, already placing him among the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL. It included a guaranteed $59 million and an average of $30 million per year. The problem, though, is that the structure is back-loaded. Hill has only a $10 million base salary in 2025 and a $27.7 million cap hit. Most of the heavy lifting happens next season, and Miami’s front office knows it. Hill does too. With no guaranteed money left after 2025 and wide receiver contracts exploding around the league, he’s in a prime position to ask for a tweak.

But the conversation on the Pat McAfee Show wasn’t just about the money. Darius Butler touched on something even deeper: locker room power. “I believe Tyreek Hill was a captain last year too. And I don’t think he’ll be a captain going into this year,” Butler said. “He’s got to earn that respect back with the team.” That’s the real kicker. Not just money. Respect. Position. Influence. Because if he lacks in that area, the team might put him on the trade train. 

Mike McDaniel & Co. face a fast decision: keep Tyreek Hill or cash out?

Meanwhile, the money talk has only intensified whispers of a potential trade. Yes, again. Bleacher Report just tossed a fresh grenade into the rumor pot with a three-team fantasy that would send Tyreek Hill to the Cardinals, land edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux in Miami, and move Jonah Williams to the Giants. Would it actually happen? Maybe not. But here’s what’s not fiction: Hill still carries a $15M+ post-June 1 cap hit. And Kyle Crabbs of AtoZ Sports thinks the Dolphins could part ways after this season when the math gets uglier.

McDaniel’s system has always thrived on speed. But it also demands trust, discipline, and unity, particularly if Tua Tagovailoa is the long-term wager. Hill brings unmatched explosiveness, but if the locker room vibes wobble again or a younger, cheaper WR rises, McDaniel might just cash in.

But here’s the kicker. Hill knows it, too. His recent offseason tour across 15 cities, coaching kids with phrases like “Run to every spot,” isn’t just PR. It’s a reminder: he’s still got value beyond the stat sheet. But it won’t mean much if he and the Dolphins aren’t aligned heading into 2025. For now, Hill is back in camp. Posting clips. Looking fast. Smiling. However, behind the scenes, per insiders, the money talks are real. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned from the last year, it only takes three words for the entire Dolphins locker room to spiral again.