The Miami Dolphins are entering the 2025 NFL season with a very precarious locker room situation. After the incendiary comments from Tyreek Hill to end their season last year, the rest of the team hasn’t welcomed him back with open arms after he backtracked from his trade request. In particular, team leader and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has made it clear that Hill needs to work on rebuilding the locker room.
Winning heals all. It’s a common motif in sports. But it begs the confirmation that the opposite would also be true. And for a Dolphins team that has injury, chemistry, and defensive personnel concerns, winning seems more like a luxury than a guarantee in the 2025 season. As a result, there is a possibility this could be Hill’s final stand in Miami, prompting one analyst to tie them to a wide receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Miami Dolphins Prepare For Life After Tyreek Hill?
Since coming on to the team in one of the most jaw-dropping trades in recent NFL history, Hill has been a supernova force unto himself. Tallying consecutive seasons with over 1,700 yards, he’s established himself as an all-time great at the position.
However, the 2024 season did not go his way. An injury to Tagovailoa paved the way for the superstar wide receiver to tally less than 1,000 yards for the first time this decade. It prompted a fiery exit interview from him that felt like a shot at his quarterback.
Even though he’s bactracked on that statement, Tagovailoa hasn’t welcomed him back with open arms. If the 2025 season doesn’t go according to plan, as the latest mock draft from PFSN predicts, then Miami might be looking at a roster that doesn’t host Hill anymore.
As a result, Brentley Weissman believes the best choice for the Dolphins in that scenario is to go after Antonio Williams from Clemson. Taking over the starting job in 2024, he tallied 12 total touchdowns last year, doubling his total from the previous two years combined.
“Antonio Williams really impresses with his ability to uncover from the slot. He is a dynamic route runner with separation, quickness, and body control. Look for Williams to be one of the first receivers off the board in next year’s draft.”
Enjoy 59 seconds of Cade Klubnik and Antonio Williams being absolutely electric for @ClemsonFB last season 🏈#TouchdownTuesday pic.twitter.com/PZXF12T0yi
— Clemson Athletics (@ClemsonTigers) July 1, 2025
If Hill is indeed moving on from Miami after this year, they need to prepare a contingency. Williams offers them the perfect replacement who can perform at a high level for the Dolphins both in the short and long term.
