Going into the 2023-24 campaign, much of the training camp chatter surrounding the Miami Dolphins concerned Tua Tagovailoa's health and Tyreek Hill's pursuit to be the first NFL wide receiver to amass 2,000 receiving yards in a single season. There were plenty of reasons to be excited about the team as a whole, but these two individuals garnered much of the spotlight.
Hill regrets the emphasis he placed on chasing the record, though, and has no intention of publicly vocalizing such aspirations again this year.
“That’d be great,” Hill said in regards to reaching that immortal number of 2,000, per The Palm Beach Post's Hal Habib. “But I feel like at the same time I have to understand that there was the position that I’m in. And me being one of the leaders and just singling out an individual goal like that — because I had time to go look at, talk about it with my family, like, that’s very selfish of me.”
The Dolphins were well supplied with star power in 2023-24, but injuries and an inability to consistently triumph in marquee matchups resulted in a brutally painful end to their season. While a magnificent personal showing will elevate Miami, Hill wants the focus to be on the franchise taking the next step towards true greatness.
He does not want anything to supersede that foremost objective. Though, in order for the Phins to climb multiple rungs on the AFC ladder, they must do away with an ongoing narrative that has ravaged Hard Rock Stadium.
Dolphins looking to end a miserable trend
The last time Miami won a playoff game, George W. Bush had not even been sworn into the Oval Office yet. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are no longer wreaking havoc in the AFC East. There are no more excuses. If the Aaron Rodgers-led New York Jets and revamped Buffalo Bills are too much to handle, then the Dolphins will be forced to undergo a critical reflection period.
They cannot stagnate. Progression is essential, something Tyreek Hill clearly understands. He is not getting ahead of himself, however.
“I want us to win a playoff game,” No. 10 said. “I would love that. We’re going to start with that, then moving forward, like continuing to build on that. You know, we’re going to move up to the Super Bowl. So it’s like one step at a time.”
Hill is doing his best not to be overzealous. Although confidence is vitally important, the team cannot get comfortable. Otherwise, it risks another divisional collapse. He was sprinting towards 2,000 yards early in the season before succumbing to injury and slowing down a bit. Aiming high is great, but the NFL gods can also take pleasure in cruelly ruining a well-thought-out plan.
The five-time First-Team All-Pro selection still led the NFL with 1,799 yards and finished tied for first with 13 touchdowns. He did everything in his power on the field to propel the Dolphins to title contention. But maybe tweaking his mindset will have a transitive effect on the locker room.
Seeing the Kansas City Chiefs win another Super Bowl could be the fuel Tyreek Hill and Miami need to legitimately contend for the Lombardi Trophy. Such a feat overshadows everything else in this league.
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