MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tyreek Hill’s work to regain the trust of his Miami Dolphins teammates remains ongoing after the All-Pro wide receiver took himself out of the 2024 regular-season finale and indicated he wanted to play elsewhere.
After the Dolphins wrapped up the first day of training camp, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said moving on from Hill’s comments hasn’t been a quick process.
“I would say we’re still continuing to do that,” Tagovailoa said of rebuilding his relationship with Hill. “But it’s not just with me, it’s with a lot of the guys. I’m not the only one that heard that. You guys aren’t the only people that heard that. A lot of people that follow football, that follow the Miami Dolphins … everyone has seen that.”
After a loss to the New York Jets that marked the first time in his career that he had not made the playoffs, Hill told reporters afterward that he was “opening the door” to play for another team.
Hill has since walked back those comments and publicly apologized to Tagovailoa and his teammates for the outburst, which he has said was a result of frustrations with a disappointing season.
“When you say something like that, you don’t just come back from that with a ‘Hey, my bad,’” Tagovailoa said Wednesday. “No, you’ve got to work that relationship up. You’ve got to build everything up again. It’s still a work in progress, not just for me, but for everybody.”
Hill said Tuesday that the situation caused him to take an inward look and hold himself accountable, adding that he’s matured this offseason and plans to be a better leader moving forward.
“You can see thus far, the three months that the team has been working at it, that it’s a surprise to no one in the building that he’s saying that publicly,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said.
“He’s come to work every day with vigor and determination. First and foremost, the only way you can dictate the terms in life is you have to take a realistic evaluation of what’s going on. … Humble, accountable, deliberate, intentional daily focus — that’s what we’re looking for, and I’m excited for him to get another opportunity to stack another day today.”
Dolphins made sure Fitzpatrick wanted return to Miami before trade
All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick began his second stint with the Dolphins on Wednesday after being dealt to Miami from Pittsburgh in a trade that sent cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith to the Steelers.
Fitzpatrick was drafted 11th overall by the Dolphins in 2018 but only played for them one full season before requesting a trade in 2019. At the time, he wasn’t happy with his role under then-head coach Brian Flores.
McDaniel indicated Wednesday that the Dolphins made sure Fitzpatrick was OK with returning to Miami before the move was made. Fitzpatrick participated in Wednesday’s practice but has not spoken to reporters since the June 30 trade.
“As you enter into negotiations of any sort of trade, you try to identify first and foremost that the player you’re receiving wants to play football for you,” McDaniel said.
“I’m elated to add Minkah to the team because it’s an opportunity to have a player that I’ve been coaching off of and plays the position the way that we here want to play the position. … It’s a real good fit based on his skillset.”
Two players injured on first day of camp
Second-year offensive lineman Bayron Matos suffered an undisclosed injury in the final minutes of practice and was flown via helicopter to a hospital. He was in stable condition, the team said.
The Dolphins did not release information on the injury.
Veteran cornerback Artie Burns, who signed with the Dolphins as a free agent in March, suffered an apparent leg injury after appearing to make contact with another player early in practice. Burns left on crutches.