Dolphins’ Hill dishes about what ‘scared’ defenses can expect, his Tua support and more
Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said the Dolphins’ new quick-as-lightning receiver tandem will “be hard to deal with.”
Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera said trying to slow Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle “will be a huge challenge with those two.”
On Thursday, Hill offered a more colorful phrasing of what teams will face, especially when Hill and Waddle line up on the same side.
“They’re scared [expletive]less,” said Hill, a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time first team All-Pro. “[Waddle?] He’s faster than I thought. When I first got here, I was like, ‘He’s a 4.3 [in the 40].’ Typically when you’re a 4.3 guy, they don’t run as fast on the football field. [Waddle] actually runs a 4.3 on the football field. There’s a difference.
“I can’t wait to see him blossom,... which I know he will because he comes here every day and works hard and he wants to get better.”
Aside from one drop from Hill, Waddle and Hill have been stupendous through two days of camp, catching multiple passes that have gone for chunk yards, with substantial yards after catch.
“We’re going to be pretty good,” Waddle said of the entire offense.
Hill was third in the NFL in receptions last season with 111; Waddle was eighth with 104. Hill was seventh in receiving yards with 1,239; Waddle was 25th with 1,015.
“It’s going to be fun,” Hill said of pairing with Waddle. “This season is going to be fast and electric. I can’t wait until we actually play against other teams.”
While Hill has changed teams (moving from Kansas City to Miami), Waddle has changed his contact lenses, at coach Mike McDaniel’s suggestion.
“Mike thought it would help me play better, wearing tinted contacts,” Waddle said, noting his eyes are naturally brown. “Y’all are probably wondering why my eyes are red. It’s for a reason. It’s not style.”
Why does it help?
“For me, these are prescribed tinted, so it’s kind of like I’m wearing sunglasses. It helps in the return game, me eyeing the ball, for where I put my hands when I catch it.”
In separate media sessions, the Dolphins’ two elite receivers addressed various issues on Thursday:
▪ Hill did not back down from his effusive praise of Tua Tagovailoa on Hill’s new podcast, including Hill asserting that Tagovailoa is more accurate than Chiefs Pro Bowl quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“I said what I said, Tua was more accurate,” Hill said. “But 15 is always going to be 15, speaking of Mahomes. He’s great, arguably one of the greatest quarterbacks I played with or in this league. The attention for me and my podcast, I’ll take it all day…. I feel sometimes football players, we have a helmet on the whole game so people don’t know who we are. I was trying to be another outlet, have a podcast, be on social media a lot. It’s nothing I change my pay job for.”
▪ Does Hill feel he needs to show the world that he can put up big numbers or prove himself without Mahomes?
“No. All I can do is just be me and help this team win games. [Mahomes] is still going to be great. That whole team is still going to be great.”
▪ Hill feels strongly about mentoring Waddle.
“I’ve been in the league for some time and my time will come here, end, soon,” said Hill, who turned 28 in March. “I want to continue to see him grow his game and learn the same way I did. When he came into the league, he didn’t have that big bro and still put up 1,000 yards. I will do everything I can to help him move his game forward.”
Waddle says what has most impressed him about Hill is “his energy. He’s going to be the same guy each and every day, on the field, off the field. ... It’s just great to see him out here, making plays, and then going into film.”
▪ Hill said “trying to learn” McDaniel’s offense “is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever been a part of in an offense. I’m a smart guy when it comes to understanding football plays and concepts. When I first got here, I’m like, ‘Coach, I don’t understand any of this.’ Once I learned the offense, everything began to click, the concepts. It’s a lot of misdirections, play-action passes. For a speedy guy like me, being able to run across the field freely and catch the ball and then get upfield, it’s a match made in heaven.”
▪ Asked what he and Waddle would be if they were cars, Hill said: “Realistically, me and him on the same side, same football field, teammates, side-by-side, it would be like a Lamborghini or a Ferrari.”
▪ Waddle said he’s not sure if he will command less attention from defensive backs with Hill playing alongside him.
“I can’t say this early,” Waddle said. “I know you’ve got to prepare for him, you’ve got to game plan for him, just like you’ve got game plan for other playmakers on the team.”
▪ What part of the offense does Waddle like the most?
“I really like how we’ve got answers for everything, everything a defense can do. A lot of options. Everybody can make plays and share the ball.”
▪ Hill loves the up-tempo nature of McDaniel’s practices.
“It’s going to be fast, deliberate and you’re going to get the most out of it. I know I have to go full speed every rep. I’m a sprinter. All you guys know sprinters get tired fast because we have quick-twitch muscles. For me to be able to do reps each period and do my thing, and then take a break, fast and deliberate is great.”
This story was originally published July 28, 2022 at 1:38 PM.
