Tyreek Hill and the Miami Dolphins came away with a 29-17 win against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16. The Dolphins are now 7-8 on the season and are still not mathematically eliminated from making the playoffs (3.8% chance after the late afternoon slate, according to PFN’s Playoff Predictor).
The win against the 49ers was good for the Dolphins, but Hill played poorly. He finished the game with three receptions for 29 yards on seven targets and had several drops.
Tyreek Hill Gets Criticized by Dolphins Fans
Hill has struggled throughout the season, and the Dolphins fans didn’t hesitate to call him out on social media. Here’s how they reacted after the 49ers game on social media:
This is disgusting. https://t.co/4DXQc99Ycy
— Rōnin🇩🇴 (@yovaniJr_) December 22, 2024
“Somehow, people will say this is Tua’s fault,” said one fan.
Another fan added, “Trade this guy for anything while he still has value.”
Time for hill to go
— Schnulle (@BigSchnulls) December 22, 2024
“Tyreek Hill is just fast. He’s so lucky he got to play with Mahomes,” wrote a fan.
“Tyreek hill really washed,” said another fan.
It’s a weekly occurrence for him. Starting to realize there was a reason the Chiefs let him go
— Logan (@LoganTaylor34) December 22, 2024
Hill has played all 15 games so far but has failed to make the same impact he was known to make. The star wide receiver has 70 catches for 834 yards and has scored six touchdowns, averaging 55.6 receiving yards per game, which is much less than his last season’s average of 112.4.
The Dolphins acquired Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 through a blockbuster trade, and the wideout helped massively in Tua Tagovailoa’s development. In his first two seasons in Miami, Hill had 1,700+ receiving yards, but this season, the 30-year-old receiver will find it tough even to cross the 1,000-yard mark.
Tagovailoa’s concussion earlier this season certainly impacted the Dolphins’ momentum. The team will hope the quarterback’s availability (or lack thereof) is the reason behind Hill’s struggles and that he can get back to his usual levels next year, as he is under contract until 2027.
Jonnu Smith Has Outplayed Dolphins’ Star WR-Duo
The Dolphins signed Jonnu Smith to a two-year, $8.4 million deal this offseason. It turned out to be one of the best decisions the franchise has made, as the tight end has had a phenomenal season.
Here are his numbers this season compared to Hill and Jaylen Waddle:
| Player | Games Played | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving Touchdowns |
| Tyreek Hill | 15 | 70 | 834 | 6 |
| Jaylen Waddle | 14 | 50 | 700 | 2 |
| Jonnu Smith | 15 | 76 | 802 | 6 |
Based on their new contracts, Hill and Waddle get paid an average combined total of $58.25 million in average annual value. Their production cannot be at par or lower than that of a tight end who wasn’t even seen as a big free agent signing.
This season hasn’t been ideal for the Dolphins, and their star trio of Tagovailoa, Hill, and Waddle needs to work on many things in the offseason. Head coach Mike McDaniel also has to figure out how to toughen up after getting the “soft” label attached to the Dolphins quite often.
Miami is expected to miss the playoffs, but the two remaining games are crucial for the team mentally. They have to play in Cleveland and New York to close out the season, and the conditions could be unfavorable. The Dolphins have always struggled in cold-weather games, and they need to play well in these two games to change the narrative around them.
Pressure will be on McDaniel and Tagovailoa because fans will be calling out the franchise to make significant changes if the Dolphins lose these games.
