Miami Dolphins wideout Tyreek Hill suffered a gruesome knee injury in Monday night's victory over the New York Jets. The next day, he underwent surgery to repair a dislocated knee and multiple torn ligaments, including his ACL, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The 31-year-old plans to suit back up in 2026.
That said, it's extremely unlikely that Hill makes his return in a Dolphins uniform. He's in the final year of his contract and there has been tangible friction between Hill and Miami's coaching staff for months. The ex-Pro Bowler infamously asked for a trade at his locker following the Dolphins' Week 18 loss a season ago. He rescinded that request once it became clear that interest in his services was... muted. But he never quite bridged that self-created gap between his coaches and teammates. Tua Tagovailoa has discussed Hill's broken trust, while head coach Mike McDaniel has openly criticized the speedster's attitude in the clubhouse.
Hill is still an incredible talent, capable of pulling off vintage performances like his six-catch, 109-yard outing against the Patriots in Week 2. He was only his way to a big night on Monday, catching all six of his targets for 67 yards before going down just over a minute into the third quarter.
How exactly will Hill, in his age-32 season, look coming off of major knee surgery? That much is unclear, but you can bet teams will line up to sign him as a free agent, especially with the price sure to drop far below his current rate. Here are a few landing spots that make sense, for one reason or another.
New York Giants
The New York Giants recently lost Malik Nabers for the season, but he should also be back up to speed come 2026. The Jaxson Dart era officially began with an unexpected victory over the Chargers. The defense was the driving force behind New York's first win of the season, but Dart showcased the standout athleticism that made him such a coveted prospect. And, more importantly, he didn't commit any backbreaking turnovers.
He still has a long way to go before he's a bonafide winning quarterback, but the Giants can rest easy knowing that Dart is their best option for the short and long term. With more reps, he will become more comfortable under pressure, leading to fewer sacks and more ambitious throws. The arm talent isn't in question with Dart; he just needs to read the field quicker and play a less reserved brand of football than he did in Week 4.
Giving him premium weapons sure would help. Nabers ranks among the best playmakers in football, but New York's offensive depth chart is otherwise fairly sparse. Hill and Nabers would form possibly the most dynamic wide receiver duo in the NFC, or at least one of them. The Giants aren't anywhere close to the Eagles or even the Commanders in the division, but it starts by building a solid veteran apparatus around Dart.
Hill is on the decline and he can rub folks the wrong way in a locker room, but man, he's still one of the fastest humans on the planet and there's no reason to think he won't at least be a dynamic WR2 upon his return from this injury. It's worth a short-term gamble from the Giants to see what Dart looks like with two electric route-runners flanking him.
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns officially named Dillon Gabriel their starting quarterback this week, kicking off a new generation (?) of Browns football. It's unclear if Gabriel actually has what it takes to lead this team for the long run, and Shedeur Sanders still lurks in the shadows, but the Browns are beginning to look to the future as another season hits rock bottom.
Myles Garrett and the Browns defense are beyond elite, which makes their offensive incompetence so frustrating. There are a lot of pieces missing for Cleveland on that side of the football, but one of their top priorities next offseason should be supplementing the wide receiver room. Hill might not be a great culture piece, but Cleveland has never cared much about culture. Hill would fit right in.
More seriously, Hill still carries tremendous upside, especially once he's removed from the restraints of Tua Tagovailoa's noodle arm. Aside from Jerry Jeudy, the Browns' current wide receiver corps has very little going for it. There is long-term upside in young guns like Isaiah Bond and Jamari Thrash, but the current production simply is not there. It's hard for young quarterbacks to thrive without the necessary weaponry around them.
Hill would give the Browns an experienced WR1 who can, in a perfect world, mentor the younger playmakers in Cleveland. Counting on Hill for maturity and leadership is a fool's errand, but at the very least, he can probably still produce something. He doesn't need to return to peak form to provide a substantial upgrade over the Browns' current wide receiver options.
New England Patriots
The Stefon Diggs era of the New England Patriots probably won't last long, but it's clear the Drake Maye era will. The new signal-caller in Foxboro is taking a huge sophomore leap, doing things we haven't seen since Tom Brady. He's still only 23 years old. New England struck gold at quarterback. It's time to start surrounding him with real weapons every season.
Hill went for 109 yards against the Patriots a couple weeks ago. Again, the knee injury muddles his future, but there's every reason to believe Hill can still be a useful contributor in 2026, even if he's not reaching the same lofty heights he once did in his prime. The Patriots' wide receiver room remains awfully thin. Kayshon Boutte, Kyle Williams and DeMario Douglas are the only real long-term pieces, and none of them profile as legitimate frontline WR1s. Hill can still top a depth chart.
Maye has all the tools you could ask for at the quarterback position, from mobility and improvisational skills, to a massive arm that he's beginning to tap into with greater frequency. Hill can help him level up even more, giving the Patriots arguably the greatest vertical threat in the NFL. We shall see how the knee injury impacts his mobility, but Hill's straight-line speed has remained elite, even into his early-30s. Maye has the strength and accuracy necessary to connect with Hill on deep balls far more frequently than the quarterback in South Beach.
Hill is more than a vertical threat, too. He's incredible physical through contact and can high-point the football in traffic. New England can deploy Hill on a variety of routes all over the field and trust that he would embrace life with a far better quarterback — one who can actually deliver challenging throws past the line of scrimmage. A novel concept, I know.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills continue to steam roll teams despite what is, on the surface, a subpar wide receiver room. Josh Allen is a superhuman force at this point. Buffalo basically cleaned house at wide receiver a year ago to preserve cap flexibility and the Bills' offense didn't miss a beat. In fact, it took a step forward like Allen did.
Hill would come (relatively) cheap and he won't tie up years worth of cap space. He's a short-term investment, but a potentially valuable one as Buffalo attempts to dethrone Kansas City and conquer the AFC. Keon Coleman looks the part of a future star, but Buffalo's second-year wideout would benefit from the gravity of another top-shelf wideout like Hill lined up opposite him.
Allen has the nuttiest arm in football. He has become far better at reading the field and rendering decisions under pressure, but he will still attempt throws that no other quarterback would dare dream of. After toiling alongside Tagovailoa for years, playing with Allen would be like finding water in the desert for Hill. Allen can hit those 50-yard darts up the sideline. He can thread the needle through tight windows over the middle of the field. He will scramble, extend plays, and let Hill work himself open off-script, not unlike his former partnership with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City.
The Bills are already the best team in the NFL right now, from the looks of it. At least in the AFC. Give Allen a real weapon in the wide receiver room — a potential game-breaker like Hill — and Buffalo's offense could ascend to historic heights. There isn't a better situation for Hill to salvage his career and author a brilliant final chapter.
Kansas City Chiefs
There has been a concerted effort from NFL fans to get Tyreek Hill back in a Kansas City Chiefs uniform for years. It feels right, no? It's where Hill began his career, where he won a Super Bowl, and where he reached heights his peers can only dream of. Patrick Mahomes has never felt more in lockstep with a wide receiver. Aside from his telepathic connection to tight end Travis Kelce, Mahomes has never formed a stronger bond with a pass-catcher, on or off the field.
Hill's departure to Miami was the unfortunate side effect of a ballooning cap sheet, and Hill experienced plenty of success in those early years as a Dolphin. But now he needs a reset, and it's hard to imagine a much better outcome than returning to his roots and a pre-established relationship with Mahomes. Hill and Mahomes know each other's tendencies. Hill knows how to improv off of Mahomes. He knows how Mahomes likes to make his reads, move around the pocket, and where he tends to deliver the football on a given route. That familiarity should help Hill stave off the effects of Father Time, which may be more pronounced if he's trying to learn a new scheme with a lesser quarterback.
Buffalo is probably the best pure football fit, but Hill and Allen would still need to feel each other out and establish a connection. That isn't the case in Kansas City. Hill can walk into the building with a full understanding of the playbook and an intimate working knowledge of catching passes from Mahomes. Kansas City has also been to five of the last six Super Bowls, which is an undeniable track record, regardless of what happens this season.
Kansas City's wide receiver room is taking steps in the right direction, but Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy just aren't as well-rounded as Hill, not to mention the decade of NFL experience Hill brings to the table. Hollywood Brown won't stick around forever. The door will be wide open for Hill, especially if he's taking a pay cut. This just feels like the desired outcome for all parties, but only time will tell.