Tyreek Hill's belated 'apology' to Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa shouldn't fool anybody

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill made some waves in January when he told reporters that he wanted to leave the team.

“I gotta do what's best for me and my family. If that's here or that's wherever the case may be...I’m opening the door. I’m out bro," Hill said moments after his team's 32-20 Week 18 loss to the New York Jets.

Now, a month later, Hill is seriously walking back those words. He went around Radio Row down in New Orleans ahead of Super Bowl LIX and told multiple shows he wants to now stay in Miami despite his previous feelings.

"I don't wanna go nowhere," he told FanDuel's Kay Adams on Friday. "We're building something special in Miami ... obviously this year was hard but if guys continue to buy in ... it's going to be a beautiful thing, man."

If guys continue to buy in, huh? It sounds like Hill should've taken his own advice a month ago before making the serious declaration he did after the regular season concluded.

Is Tyreek Hill actually sorry or does he realize he's stuck with the Miami Dolphins?

Hill also stopped by Pro Football Talk on Friday, speaking with Mike Florio and Co. further about his January comments. He expressed regret for how he handled himself after Week 18 and that he wanted to "take accountability."

"I'm taking full accountability of what I said, man. I don't deserve to say anything that I said," Hill explained. "[The Dolphins] have been very good to me, so why am I going to go out and say some of the things that I said? I fully take them back, man ... I want to stay with the Dolphins."

Hill also said he spoke with his mother and wife about better handling himself as a "leader of the team." Whether he actually means what he says, only Hill knows, but it's more likely than not that he does.

It's also possible that a business decision was made in order to make amends with team brass and the locker room. Hill has two remaining years on his three-year contract, valued at $90 million when he signed it last offseason. It's reasonable to think his agent talked some sense into him over the last few weeks, no team will trade for that behemoth of a deal (he's owed $29.9 million in base salary in 2026).

Hill's options were extremely thin if he followed through on forcing a trade - unless he took some sort of a pay cut or Miami retained salary - so his next best choice was cooling off and returning in 2025. If quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is fully healthy again, Hill should see a return to his 1,000-receiving-yard habits. Whether that translates to another playoff appearance, nobody knows, but at the moment it's all he's got and people should remember that when they hear his apologies this weekend.