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Dolphins GM Chris Grier: Tyreek Hill ‘never asked for a trade with me’

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Dolphins GM Chris Grier: Tyreek Hill ‘never asked for a trade with me’

After declaring “I’m out, bro” on Sunday, Tyreek Hill’s stance on continuing to play with the Miami Dolphins appears to have wavered.

But it hasn’t necessarily changed.

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel both spoke with media on Tuesday and said that they’d met with Hill on Monday for what Grier described as “productive conversations.”

“Mike and I both had conversations with Tyreek here yesterday,” Grier said. “Productive conversations. I will keep those between us. The one thing I would say — in a frustrating season, he was very emotional. … I think all of that with him playing through his injury just kind of bubbled to a point.

“From our conversations — again, we’ll keep that private — but we had productive conversations.”

Grier was then asked directly if Hill backed off his comments declaring that “I’m out.” Grier said no, then added this:

“But he never asked for a trade with me,” Grier said.

So is he staying or is he going? That appears to be a question that will linger over the Dolphins offseason until one or both sides provide definitive clarity. But the tide has certainly shifted since Sunday.

After his comments Sunday and a subsequent post suggesting that he did intend to leave the Dolphins, Hill changed his social media avatar to an image of his head imposed over Antonio Brown’s body during Brown’s last NFL game with the Buccaneers.

In case you need a refresher, that image is from Brown’s dramatic Bucs exit in Week 17 of the 2021 season against the Jets where he stripped off his gear and ran off the field shirtless mid-game. The Bucs subsequently released him, and Brown hasn’t played in an NFL game since.

Hill’s avatar change came after these postgame comments after Hill appeared to remove himself from Sunday’s loss to the Jets:

“This is my first time I haven’t been in the playoffs, man,” Hill said Sunday” “For me, I just got to do what’s best for me and my family. If that’s here or wherever the case may be, I’m finna open that door for myself. I’m opening the door. I’m out, bro. It was great playing here, but at the end of the day I gotta do what’s best for my career because I’m too much of a competitor to be just out there.”

Hill’s message with his comments and his avatar change was unambiguous. He wanted out of Miami. But on Tuesday, Hill switched his avatar back to a photo of himself in a Dolphins uniform. His meeting with Grier and McDaniel appears to have softened his stance.

But he left up this post from Sunday that appeared to suggest a farewell to Miami:

McDaniel also addressed Hill on Tuesday. His comments further suggested the Hill did, in fact, refuse to return to Sunday’s game against the Jets.

“I was very direct with him,” McDaniel said. “He was very honest. It was great terms that we were discussing. Discussed multiple things including — without wavering — that it’s not acceptable to leave a game. And it won’t be tolerated in the future.

“He embraced accountability. I wouldn’t say there’s anything necessarily to fix, as much as we had to clear the air in a rough and tumultuous situation.”

Will Tyreek Hill play another game with the Dolphins? (AP Photo/Kirk Irwin)

Will Tyreek Hill play another game with the Dolphins? (AP Photo/Kirk Irwin)

Hill caught two passes for 30 yards in Sunday’s 32-20 loss that dropped Miami to 8-9 on the season. The effort wrapped Hill’s worst season in a Dolphins uniform since he joined Miami in 2022. Hill finishes the 2024 season with 81 catches for 959 yards and six touchdowns after eclipsing 1,700 yards in each of his first two seasons with the Dolphins.

Hill, 30, has two years remaining on a three-year, $90 million contract with $65 million in guaranteed money. Whether there’s a market to acquire a declining Hill and his contract remains to be seen. For now, it sounds like the Dolphins would prefer that it doesn’t get to that point

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