Breaking Down the Many Ramifications of the Tyreek Hill Injury

The Miami Dolphins suffered a potential season-altering injury against the New York Jets on Monday night.

Star wide receiver Tyreek Hill was carted off the field early in the third quarter after suffering a gruesome knee injury. The team later announced he was taken to the local hospital for imaging, evaluation, and observation.

Hill made a first-down catch and got rolled up on near the right sideline.

He immediately went down, grabbed his knee/leg, and was clearly in a lot of pain. The trainers quickly rushed over, and the cart came out for Hill. His leg was put in an air cast, but he seemed to be in OK spirits while leaving the field.

Tyreek Hill’s exit after a gruesome leg injury: pic.twitter.com/z9jXpJzFrF https://t.co/Puorwljpev
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 30, 2025

Given the air cast and cart, it’s hard to imagine Hill doesn’t miss significant time. For the Dolphins, it’s a pretty huge blow to an offense that looked to be finding its footing against the Jets and even a bit against the Bills.

The Immediate Impact on Miami’s Offense

Hill is a trump-card player and a big reason the Dolphins’ offense was so successful in 2022 and 2023. He took a step back last season, but Miami’s identity is built on his speed and ability to make plays with the ball in his hands.

The Dolphins’ timing passing game really only works because Hill can get further down the field faster than most players. This allows quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to get the ball out quickly, while still pushing the ball downfield.

That’s all been a struggle since the early parts of last season, and it won’t get any easier for the Dolphins without Hill on the field.

Jaylen Waddle will need to become the focal point of the passing game. He’ll need to become Tua’s safety blanket on third down and be the player who can create vertically downfield against man-coverage.

The team will also need someone like Nick Westbrook-Ikhine or Malik Washington to step up. Washington can at least take some of Hill’s quick-game touches since he’s also a shifty player with good contact balance.

The Dolphins could also look to incorporate tight end Darren Waller more. Waller caught the Dolphins’ first two touchdowns on Monday night. He gives the team an extra dimension with his size and athleticism.

While the passing game will need a few players to step up in Hill’s absence, the easiest way for Miami’s offense to fill in the production is with the running game. De’Von Achane and Ollie Gordon II have shown some flashes this season, but hardly anything consistent.

Overall, it’s impossible to replace Hill’s skill set, but the Dolphins will still have plenty of speed because of Waddle and Achane.

The Long-Term Implications

Hill’s future in Miami was already in doubt before kickoff on Monday. Trade rumors were swirling all offseason, and they picked up again when the Dolphins fell to 0-3.

However, the injury makes it unlikely that the Dolphins can trade Hill during the season. The Dolphins might’ve actually benefited from moving Hill if the 2025 season continued to go off the rails.

Hill also dealt with injuries last season, most notably the wrist injury that required him to undergo two wrist surgeries this offseason. Even if the Dolphins want to trade Hill in the offseason, the price for a 31-year-old receiver (32 when the 2026 season starts) coming off a major injury probably won’t be high.

It’s also important to remember that Hill has an out in his contract after this season. The Dolphins can release Hill with a post-June 1 designation and shave $39 million off his 2026 cap number, according to Over The Cap. If Hill wasn’t traded, that was expected to happen anyway. However, a post-June 1 trade could have saved the Dolphins $11.8 million against the cap in 2025.

Now, it seems almost guaranteed the Dolphins will cut Hill, unless Miami decides it wants him to come back next season, and the two sides work on a new contract.

Either way, the Dolphins will be dealing with the fallout for a while. Ultimately, though, the most crucial thing is Hill’s health after the scary injury.

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