The Miami Dolphins’ 2024 offseason has officially begun on January 14, and face of the franchise Tyreek Hill wasted no time addressing fans and followers on social media.
It can be difficult to find the right words in moments like these, but the superstar did his best to keep things light on X, voicing: “I know we lost, but ain’t no way a mf let me walk outside with my lips this ashy.” He included a photo to complete the joke.
The post has over 63K likes and counting in under four hours, as fans appeared to appreciate the levity from Hill.
Dolphins Likely Have 2-3 Year Window With Tyreek Hill
Hill is under contract until the end of the 2026 season — assuming Miami or the playmaker don’t elect to move on before then. This timeline gives the franchise a likely two-to-three-year window that Hill has spoken about in the past.
The Offensive Player of the Year candidate has made it clear that he would prefer to end his career with the Dolphins, but the exact term of his stay in Miami is still undecided. First, he mulled a 10-year career, which would mean two more seasons.
Hill has also talked about finishing the aforementioned contract and walking off into the sunset after 2026 (three more years), but there is an option three. “I can continue to play this game for forever, I feel like,” the wideout voiced last July. So perhaps, an extension with the Dolphins is still possible if “the Cheetah” keeps playing like he did in 2022 and 2023.
Having said that, Hill has been honest about wanting to live a life outside of the rigorous football schedule. He also just got married to Keeta Vaccaro in November and has displayed public interest in the growing video gaming and podcast industries — as well as the fashion industry with his clothing line Soul Runner.
No matter how many years Hill ends up playing though, he gets more expensive next season. According to Over the Cap, his cap hit jumps from $12.823 million to $31.073 million in 2024.
At this stage, the Dolphins wouldn’t even dream about parting ways with Hill — their clear MVP — but that could change in a couple of years. It would make the most sense to part ways in 2026, if his play were to decline. Miami could save $45 million in cap space by releasing him ahead of that final year of his contract.
Dolphins Must Prioritize Winning a Super Bowl in 2024
Given the aforementioned window and Hill’s age (30 in March), the 2024 campaign will be crucial for the Dolphins. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will still be affordable next year — assuming he doesn’t hold out for an extension — and Miami has most of the pieces in place to make a run.
With better health and a few signings, this is still a very strong football team, but the Dolphins will have to shore up some weak spots this spring. Their list of key impending free agents isn’t terribly long, but it does include several important players.
Linebackers Jerome Baker and Andrew Van Ginkel are set to hit NFL free agency, as well as interior offensive linemen Connor Williams and Robert Hunt and starting safety DeShon Elliott. The big one for Miami is defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, however.
Spotrac projects a market value of over $20 million annually for Wilkins, but he could cost even more than that. A linchpin of this Dolphins defense, the former first rounder will certainly be looking to cash out at age 28, and recent extensions at his position have paid anywhere from $21.5 million to $24 million per year.
Role players like returner/wide receiver Braxton Berrios, wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, safety Brandon Jones, defensive tackle Raekwon Davis, cornerback Eli Apple and punter Jake Bailey are also unrestricted free agents in 2024.
Over the Cap estimates that Miami currently has negative $40.77 million and change this spring, so it will take some creativity to get this roster back into Super Bowl contention next season.
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