Wide receiver Tyreek Hill hasn’t experienced one of his best NFL seasons this year. Although he caught a touchdown in the 29-17 victory against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16, Hill finished with only 29 receiving yards and dropped 3 passes.
While speaking to reporters after the game, Hill delivered an indirect message to the Miami Dolphins coaching staff — he needs more practice.
“I feel like, at the end of the day, I need those valuable reps with Tua,” Hill told reporters. “Those vet rest days are starting to show.
“I completely blame myself for not getting my head around and not seeing the ball because, if I see a ball, we’re talking cross-court, 70-yard touchdown. But those Wednesday reps are definitely showing.
“As a leader, I’ve just got to be able to bite the bullet sometime and practice and get those valuable reps with QB1 because, if we’re able to stay on the field on third down, who knows what could happen.”
Hill dropped two third-down passes in the first quarter. The first drop led to a punt while the second resulted in a Dolphins field goal.
Miami settled for another field goal after Hill dropped a pass during the third quarter.
Tyreek Hill Hasn’t Practiced Much on Wednesdays
The veteran wide receiver was listed as questionable on the Miami injury report entering Week 16. He’s dealt with a wrist injury for most of the season, and as a result, the Dolphins have managed his repetitions in practice, especially early in the week.
“He missed Wednesday practices in two of the past four weeks, and has been listed as limited or worse in at least one practice every week since Week 7,” ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacquies wrote. “Leading up to Sunday’s game, Hill missed practice Wednesday, practiced in full Thursday and was a limited participant Friday.”
On Hill’s second drop, 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir tipped the pass to alter its rotation slightly. So, Hill shouldn’t receive full blame for that drop.
But with practice or not, a 5-time first-team All-Pro should have caught the other two passes.
Hill disagreed, though, as he argued even veterans need practice.
“One thing I learned from Coach Reid whenever I was in Kansas City, I was blessed to be able to play under such a great head coach, is you can’t just show up on Sunday,” Hill added. “You’ve got to be able to prepare yourself Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, even Saturday. Then when it’s Sunday, it’s easy.”
Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa Respond to Hill’s Request for More Practice
Before Week 16, injuries were probably the biggest scapegoat for Hill’s disappointing season. He’s averaging 55.6 receiving yards per game this season, which is the lowest of his career since his rookie season.
It’s also less than half of what he averaged during 2023. Hill led the NFL with 1,799 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns last season.
But maybe the lack of practice is the bigger culprit for Hill’s lack of production in 2024.
If that’s the case, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa are more than willing to give Hill the more practice repetitions he needs.
“You’re trying to yield the best performance on game day, and the great news is when a player on Sunday can feel the rest in a negative way, then you adjust,” McDaniel told reporters. “Whenever it hits a player, and they feel that it has accumulated, then you adjust your plans because the idea is, above all else, executing and feeling as convicted and confident on game day.”
“If he told you that, then that’s what we need more of. We need more reps,” Tagovailoa told the media. “Me and him need more reps.
“That’s what we’ve got to do. That’s the secret sauce to me being able to connect with all these guys.”
Getting Hill going in the final two weeks of the season would greatly help the Dolphins push toward the postseason. Miami improved to 7-8 by beating the 49ers in Week 16 and stayed alive in the playoff race.
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Tyreek Hill Puts Dolphins Coaches on Notice After Drops vs. 49ers