Tyreek Hill isn’t a Dolphins captain in 2025, but a recently passed contract deadline should serve as a much greater source of motivation for this season
Tyreek Hill is not a captain in 2025 but he has a much more pressing motivator for this season.
The Miami Dolphins‘ list of team captains does not include Tyreek Hill‘s name for the first time during his four-year tenure with Miami. Hill, who infamously made a fuss at the end of the 2024 season after pulling himself from the game early in Miami’s Week 18 loss to the New York Jets, is still paying the price for his choice words and his suggestion that he needed to leave Miami because it was best for him.
Of course, Tyreek Hill chose not to stand on business and was walking those bold proclamations back as early as the week of the Super Bowl this past winter. Miami has elected to retain Hill in 2025, although some of that decision may have been made for them with Hill’s lofty salary, extensive list of off-field transgressions, and a wrist that required two surgeries this offseason. Miami has been steadfast publicly that Hill is a piece of the solution in 2025.
We’ll see. What we do know is this — Hill is not a captain in 2025. And while it could be considered Hill’s next test to put his money where his mouth is about being a reformed resident of Miami’s culture, Hill has just had an even bigger reason to prove he’s not fibbing. His actual money.
A major date on Tyreek Hill’s contract has passed
Hill, who returned to practice for the Dolphins at the end of last week, had an option bonus worth nearly $16 million in his contract for the 2025 season that was due by August 31st according to Spotrac. With Hill still in-house and the calendar now reading September, that means Miami has officially paid Hill that $15.85 million bonus. And that should weigh far more heavily in Hill’s conduct that any player voting on captain status.
Hill has now officially now collected more than half of his 2025 compensation with a week left before the first game. He should have all the motivation in the world to play to his prior form, never mind what his status is as a captain with the Dolphins this season. With Miami’s deadline for the option bonus having officially passed, Hill now has just $10 million in guaranteed money left on his contract.
Given that the Dolphins are in the midst of a bit of a youth-movement and the relationship with Hill was rocked significantly last season, Hill’s $36 million in scheduled compensation (none of it is guaranteed) for 2026 should be considered anything but a sure thing. Another underwhelming season or another lashing out against the team would undoubtedly serve as the end of the line for Hill in Miami, period. But this contract feels doomed for 2026 either way, as Hill is scheduled to carry a $51.8 million cap charge next season. That’s not sustainable. Should Hill’s season be marred with lower play and distractions, the question would be what franchise would bring him in for major compensation and significant guarantees across multiple years? Does Hill want to find out? Or does Hill want to recapture his prior form, stay in line and give himself for one more handsome contract as he plays out his early 30s?
We’ll find out soon enough.
Hill has bigger things to worry about than the Dolphins’ captain vote ahead of the start of this season. Being upset about that outcome would simply be failing to see the forest for the trees when there’s a bigger picture at hand — Hill’s next to last portion of guarantees has now officially been paid. He can be glad it’s in his bank account, but he’s got work to do to now secure future waves of guarantees from the Dolphins or anybody else into 2026 and beyond.
Miami Dolphins News
Miami Dolphins reveal six 2025 team captains, spotlighting new voices in leadership after last year’s struggles
The Miami Dolphins have announced their captains for the 2025 NFL season.
