Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill played through a foot injury last week.
Is the issue still impacting him heading into the Dolphins’ pivotal Week 9 game against the Buffalo Bills? Hill didn’t practice Wednesday.
What Is Tyreek Hill’s Injury?
Tagovailoa actually didn’t receive treatment for his foot issue Wednesday, and his absence had a far more benign explanation: Veteran rest.
While some of his teammates get veteran rest days, Hill rarely takes days off. If he doesn’t practice, there’s usually a medical reason why.
Dolphins-Bills Injury Report 1 pic.twitter.com/5gs2Ow08sK
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley)
That was certainly the case last week, when his participation in practice was limited Thursday and non-existent Friday.
He still had a full workload in the Dolphins’ Week 8 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He caught six passes for 72 yards and was on the field for 57 of a possible 65 snaps.
“I think it was one of my favorite games Tyreek has had since I’ve been here,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. “And there are a lot of games that he’s had a ton of numbers, but what is required from one of your best players, making plays with and without the ball, he was such an impact player.”
Is Tyreek Hill Playing In Week 9?
Even if Hill’s foot is still sore, he likely will play Sunday given his high Week 8 participation rate, his history of playing through pain, and the Dolphins’ teetering playoff hopes.
The Dolphins’ playoff hopes would all but vanish with a loss to the Bills in Week 9.
“Every man on the field, everybody’s has to play better,” Hill said after the Cardinals game. “And at the end of the day it’s got to mean something to you. It’s got to.”
How Might Tyreek Hill’s Absence Impact the Miami Dolphins if Ruled Out?
Huge. Massive. Enormous. And any other word you can find in the thesaurus.
While his numbers aren’t what they were in the last two seasons, Hill is still the heartbeat of a Dolphins passing game that showed hints of getting things figured out in Week 9.
Beyond Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Dolphins’ wide receiver room (which includes Odell Beckham Jr.) has seven catches for 71 yards in seven games.
Help could be on the way, however. River Cracraft was back on the practice field for the first time in two months. The Dolphins opened his window to return from injured reserve, but they will wait to see how his shoulder holds up in practice before making a Week 9 determination.
