The NFL’s annual schedule release has become less about matchups and more about meme warfare. Every May, teams unleash an avalanche of digital chaos. Right from animated mashups, celebrity cameos, and enough inside jokes to rival a Reddit thread. But this year, the Colts forgot the first rule of comedy: timing is everything. Especially when you’re dragging one of the league’s most explosive players into the bit.

The Colts’ now-deleted Minecraft-themed video was supposed to be a fun, blocky tribute to Week 1 opponents. Instead, it veered into eyebrow-raising territory when a dolphin donning Tyreek Hill’s No. 10 jersey was swimming toward a pixelated Coast Guard boat. Sirens blared. An officer glared. You didn’t need a decoder ring to catch the punchline.

If you remembered Hill’s brief run-in with the law before last season’s opener. Nothing says “welcome to the new season” like reenacting a guy’s detainment in 16-bit animation. But here’s where it gets wild. While the internet collectively cringed and the Colts scrambled for damage control—apologizing to both Hill and Microsoft (who owns Minecraft)—Hill himself took to X with a shrug and a wink.

“Should’ve left it up, this was funny,” Hill posted, quote-tweeting the clip with a digital chuckle that only he could deliver. That’s right. The clip didn’t offend Hill. In fact, he sounded a little disappointed that the Colts folded under pressure and hit delete. But maybe he is sounding off the horn that the game’s on: ‘If you’re coming for the Cheetah, you best not miss.’ 

Well, that one-liner comeback wasn’t it from Hill, though. The Phins WR went onto his Snapchat, @trackstar620, and added an edited snap of the Colts Minecraft-animated in water being detained by the ‘Colts Guard.’ He captioned his Snapchat story with a sarcastic undertone: “Live look at the Colts media.”

Behind the scenes, the Colts weren’t laughing. They yanked the video, issued a formal apology, and reached out to Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, in what we can only assume was a conversation that started with ‘So about that dolphin banter video…’ The team admitted the clip was both “insensitive” and a violation of their usage rights with Microsoft.

Per the Colts statement received by ESPN, “We removed our schedule release video because it exceeded our rights with Microsoft and included an insensitive clip involving Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. We sincerely apologize to Microsoft and Tyreek.” A double whammy that turned an attempt at schedule release swagger into a corporate facepalm.

For the record, the Chargers also went the Minecraft route, but with actual permission from Microsoft and zero felony reenactments. As for the league office? According to NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy, they don’t vet team videos. Which, considering the growing production budgets and thirst for viral clout, feels a bit like letting everyone bring fireworks to a bonfire and hoping no one aims at the gas can.

Tyreek Hill’s got more reasons to make the 2025 his best year yet

So, Tyreek Hill already told us. “This will be my best year yet, Dolfans.” He didn’t whisper it, either, he said it loud on X, for the whole league to hear. And then? The Colts rolled out their schedule release video with a not-so-subtle jab at Hill. Detainment jokes. Sirens. A blocky Minecraft dolphin in a No. 10 jersey. It got deleted faster than a dropped pass in a two-minute drill, but the message was loud enough to echo all the way through the AFC.

Now, how does a guy like Hill respond to that? He laughs. But not with a warning that it’s another reason to go full turbo in Week 1. This is Tyreek Hill we’re talking about, after all. Eight-time Pro Bowler. Five-time All-Pro. Part of the NFL’s All-2010s squad. His 2023 stat line? 119 catches, 1,799 yards, 13 touchdowns. That’s video game numbers—peak Randy Moss type beat. He even came within inches of the Offensive Player of the Year award, losing out only to Christian McCaffrey’s superhero season.

But 2024? Not the same. He dropped to 81 catches for 959 yards and just six touchdowns. No Tua Tagovailoa for six games meant Miami’s passing game hit the brakes. The Dolphins went from playoff darlings to 8-9 afterthoughts. Suddenly, “fins up” felt like a question instead of a rallying cry.

But 2025 smells different. Tua’s back. Chris Grier beefed up both lines. The schedule? Easier on paper, and Miami’s got five prime-time games plus an overseas clash in Madrid. The lights are bright. The AFC East crown is up for grabs. Week 1 in Indy could be the spark. Hill’s already circled it…twice!