'You don't just come back from that with, hey, my bad' — Tua Tagovailoa has a strong take on Tyreek Hill's relationship with his teammates
Tyreek Hill never has a problem expressing what's on his mind, for better or worse and often the latter. That happened at the conclusion of the Miami Dolphins' 2024 season back in January in a 32-20 loss to the New York Jets. Hill, who refused to go into the game during the second half, said […]
Tyreek Hill never has a problem expressing what's on his mind, for better or worse and often the latter. That happened at the conclusion of the Miami Dolphins' 2024 season back in January in a 32-20 loss to the New York Jets.
Hill, who refused to go into the game during the second half, said "I'm out" during a postgame interview, indicating he was ready to move on from the franchise that traded for him in March 2022.
During the offseason, he's walked those comments back, even apologizing publicly to Tua Tagovailoa. It appears that hasn't yet been enough to win all of his teammates back over – or at least the man throwing him the ball.
Tagovailoa spoke with the media after practice on Wednesday, and he was asked about Hill's comments. He didn't mince words with his answer.
"I would say we're still continuing to do that, 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, that follow Tyreek, that are fans of his, everyone has seen that. When you say something like that, you don't just come back from that with, 'hey, my bad'. 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. Like I said, he's working on himself. He's working on the things that he says he wants to get better with and do better on. So, that's the first step to me, and I commend him for doing that."
It's interesting that Tua and his teammates haven't given Hill a public pass for his comments to end the season. Hill has always been one of the most boisterous and flamboyant players in the NFL, but that's been accepted as who he is. Clearly, that blowup affected Tua and other players inside the locker room and strained the relationship they have with Miami's best player and biggest superstar.
However, there is something that often tends to cure all ills, and that's winning. If Tua, Tyreek and the Dolphins' offense can return to a semblance of its 2023 form, there could be a good bit forgiven over the course of a long season.
‘I don’t give a sh-t’ — Miami Dolphins starter has a strong response to common perception about the team heading into the season
A notable player had a short but strong response to a common refrain about the Dolphins
