Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill tore ACL in addition to dislocating knee
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill will miss the rest of the season after tests revealed that he tore multiple ligaments in his knee, including his ACL, coach Mike McDaniel confirmed Tuesday.
The star wideout underwent a successful surgery Tuesday morning, his agent Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“It’s about rehab and he will play next season,” Rosenhaus said, adding that another surgery will not be needed. “The realistic goal is the start of the season.”
This is the worst possible scenario after Hill dislocated his left knee during the third quarter of the Dolphins’ 27-21 win over the New York Jets. The eight-time Pro Bowler had just caught a 10-yard pass when Jets safety Malachi Moore tackled him out of bounds, twisting his leg underneath him.
Hill’s leg was quickly put in an air cast and loaded onto a cart. Both teams surrounded the superstar, giving him words of encouragement. Hill smiled and waved as he left the field while the crowd erupted in cheers as he was shuttled into the locker room.
“As you can see on the jumbotron – he was kind of joking,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. “That’s just his personality. So he was joking when I came up and talked to him and when a lot of the guys came up and talked to him. That’s just his personality. That’s just who he is. But our thoughts and our prayers are with him."
Coach Mike McDaniel praised Hill’s selflessness in the moment as he was more focused on the Dolphins beating the Jets more than anything else. The Dolphins would score on the very same drive that the injury occurred, something that McDaniel believed the receiver helped to engineer.
“He immediately had wide eyes and was talking, ‘I’m good, just make sure the guys get this win,” McDaniel said, later adding that “He was inspiring in that situation, and I think his teammates benefitted from that.”
What made Hill’s injury particularly unfortunate was that he was in the midst of his best game of the year, with six catches for 67 yards through two quarters. On the season, Hill had racked up a team-high 21 catches for 265 yards and a touchdown.
Hill had been known as something of an ironman since his 2022 arrival in Miami, missing just one game. He even reportedly played the entire 2024 season with a fractured wrist that was not surgically repaired until the 2025 offseason, something that caused him to miss spring practices and most of training camp. During this period without Hill, the Dolphins learned how to move the ball without their five-time All-Pro receiver, something McDaniel says could benefit them going forward.
“In years past, when he would be out for a day or two or something would come up, we didn’t have the same competitive spirit,” McDaniel said. “I thought this offseason, we were able to develop that during joint practices and doing all that. That’s productive. It should be helpful for the guys so they’re not going into uncharted territory. And certainly your team has to continue to develop and get better at everything they do any time you lose a good player on your team.”
The significance of Hill’s injury means that Jaylen Waddle automatically slides into the receiver No. 1 role while Malik Washington becomes WR2. Tight end Darren Waller, who starred Monday night with two touchdowns in his first game since the 2023 season, will likely receive increased looks as well.
“I feel like there will be a lot of guys in the receiver room that will have more opportunities to make plays,” Waller said. “I have faith in them, especially from what I’ve seen over camp and the first few weeks. Yeah, football is a game and a business where you got to move forward. I feel like we got guys that can move forward and allow us to continue to have balance in this thing and continue to build on some balance.”
The bottom line: Dolphins will likely explore all options “as a combination of various individuals, not just in the receiver room” will have to replace Hill.
“There could potentially not” be an addition, McDaniel said. “I feel very confident in the guys we have. Whether someone makes us better in the short-term is a conversation” to be had.
Hill is due to make $29.9 million next season. None of that money, however, is guaranteed until March, when $11 million of the $29 million becomes guaranteed. He will also receive a $5 million roster bonus. Due to that contract’s $51.9 million cap hit, there was virtually no chance that he would have returned without a restructure — even before the injury. If the Dolphins cut Hill before the $11 million becomes guaranteed in March, they would have a $15.5 million dead money cap hit for 2026. That seems more likely with each passing day.
This story was originally published September 30, 2025 at 8:42 AM.
