Tyreek Hill’s apparent refusal to play could trigger a contract showdown

Dolphins G.M. Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel will be back for 2025. And they’ll get started on the offseason with a potential contract mess involving the team’s best player.

Beyond the fact that receiver Tyreek Hill said Sunday that he wants out, Hill’s apparent refusal to play on Sunday could trigger a contract showdown, which could allow the Dolphins to wipe out his remaining guarantees. It also could allow the Dolphins to pursue partial repayment of more than $24 million in signing bonus and roster bonus money received in 2024.

For 2025, Hill has a $15.85 million option bonus, a $10 million salary, a $1 million roster bonus, $1.8 million in per-game roster bonuses, and a $100,000 offseason workout bonus. All payments are fully guaranteed, for now. (The per-game roster bonus and offseason workout bonus must be earned, but are guaranteed.)

The current deal could be traded, with or without the guarantees being voided. Would someone commit $29.65 million in cash to him for 2025? As one source with extensive personnel evaluation experience put it on Monday, he’s still worth that kind of money but he’s definitely not as good as he used to be.

There’s also the headache factor. The Chiefs decided after the 2021 season that they had enough. Hill, after trying his best to not be a pain in the ass for the Dolphins, finally snapped on Sunday. Whoever trades for him becomes the next team he might turn against.

Now that he has turned against the Dolphins, what will they do? Turn the other cheek? Or turn up the heat and play some hardball? They have options. And it could get interesting.