Miami Dolphins

The wide receiver who cried wolf?

Miami Dolphins wideout Tyreek Hill had fans wondering if he might be on the move with a pair of cryptic tweets on Wednesday.

woke up to trade news exciting

— Ty Hill (@cheetah) October 2, 2024

https://t.co/INFah2wmBa pic.twitter.com/wpfyuUImKq

— Ty Hill (@cheetah) October 2, 2024

But it turns out that Hill, in his own words, just loves trolling NFL fans.

The speculation that the Chiefs may try to reunite with Hill isn't terribly surprising—Marquise "Hollywood" Brown is currently on injured reserve with a sternoclavicular injury and hasn't played yet this year, while Rashee Rice suffered an injury this past week that is feared to potentially be a torn ACL, though the full nature of the injury remains unknown.

Either way, that has left the Chiefs incredibly thin at the wideout position. Don't expect Hill to wind up in Kansas City this season, however, even as the Dolphins have limped to a 1-3 start.

For the second straight year, Miami Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips will miss the end of the season because of an injury.

Phillips announced Wednesday on Instagram that he had suffered a knee injury that would necessitate "reconstructive surgery" and end his 2024 campaign.

"I have unfinished business to take care of and I will come out of this trial victorious," Phillips wrote.

Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips just announced that his knee injury is season ending. pic.twitter.com/vW0GzADufo

— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) October 2, 2024

Phillips suffered the injury in the third quarter of Monday's loss to the Titans, which marked his fourth appearance since the torn Achilles tendon that ended his 2023 season in Week 12.

After recording 15.5 sacks through two seasons, Phillips had recorded 6.5 sacks in eight games in what was gearing up to be a breakout 2023 campaign before the season-ending non-contact injury.

Phillips' recovery involved working his way back from three months of not being able to walk to rejoining the Dolphins roster ahead of the second game of the preseason. Now he will begin another rehabilitation process this fall.

"I bleed for this game and my team," Phillips wrote in the caption of his post. "I'm devastated to have to miss another season, but my resolve has never been stronger… I'll be back."

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Phillips has "hopes of returning in 2025." The Dolphins have already exercised Phillips' $13.24 million fifth-year club option to keep him in Miami next season.

Phillips had recorded 1.0 sacks, two passes defensed, six tackles and two quarterback hits prior to his season-ending injury.

The Dolphins will now be absent a top defender as the team attempts to recover from their 1-3 season start while still missing starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and likely star running back Raheem Mostert as well.

The Miami pass-rush, which ranked third in the NFL with 56 sacks last season, sits toward the bottom of league rankings so far in 2024 with seven sacks through four games.

The Dolphins will need rookies Chop Robinson and Mohamed Kamara to step up alongside Emmanuel Ogbah and Quinton Bell in order to improve these stats in Phillips' absence. Bradley Chubb is still sidelined amid rehab from a torn ACL, but he could eventually help fill in for Phillips if the team's projections that he could return this season prove true.

Amid speculation about a possible reunion with the Kansas City Chiefs, Tyreek Hill assured Miami Dolphins fans that he wants to stay with his current team.

The star receiver spoke highly of Miami despite a sluggish start to the season

"I'm just focused on the right here and the right now. We've got a beautiful team here and I want to be a part of it," Hill said. "We've got a great situation here, my family loves it, I enjoy it, the weather's great, the fans are great. We've got a beautiful situation. My parents always taught me, control the controllable, and I only can control so much. With that being said, the NFL is a business, we all know whatever happens happens. Moving forward, I would love to be here, I love being here."

Tyreek Hill on the trade discourse pic.twitter.com/83FnO0xUYU

— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) October 2, 2024

Hill, who is coming off a season in which he recorded a career-high 1,799 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns, hasn't enjoyed the same success this year. The Dolphins' offense has struggled without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who has been out since Week 2 when he suffered a concussion.

Miami won its first game of the season but has since lost three straight. After picking up 130 receiving yards and a touchdown in Week 1, Hill has posted just 87 receiving yards across his last three games—a rare slump for the eight-time Pro Bowler.

Kansas City's top receiver Rashee Rice suffered a knee injury on Sunday and could be set to miss some time. The initial fear was a torn ACL, though ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Monday that there is still uncertainty about the extent of the injury and Rice will require more tests to determine the severity.

Rice leads the Chiefs in receiving yards this season with 288, with tight end Travis Kelce having the second-most yards with 158. Rice also has a pair of touchdowns this year.

Kansas City potentially being without its leading receiver for a while combined with Hill having a slow start in Miami has led fans to believe the Chiefs could try to make a trade for Hill, who spent six seasons in Kansas City, but his comments on Wednesday indicated he wants to stay put for now.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Tuesday that the practice window for Odell Beckham Jr. will be opened this week and that he'll return to practice.

Beckham, 31, opened the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list with an undisclosed injury, but will now have a 21-day window to practice before he either needs to be placed on the active roster or on season-ending injured reserve.

It's welcome news for a Dolphins team that has not gotten off to a great start this season, going just 1-3 while starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remains out an undetermined amount of time after suffering another concussion.

Neither Skylar Thompson or Tyler Huntley have looked particularly adept in relief duty, and the Dolphins in general looked out of sync in Monday's 31-12 loss to the previously winless Tennessee Titans.

"There was a tremendous disconnect between preparation and execution," McDaniel told reporters following the loss. "So, there was a multitude of contributors to it, I believe, but I have to check the tape out."

"Bottom line is it doesn't matter what we're doing behind the scenes," he added. "On the field, that's not even close to good enough, so you just have to go back to the drawing board and assess very critically."

Whether Beckham will help much in Miami's efforts to turn the season around remains to be seen. The veteran wideout has struggled with injuries and a decline in play later in his career, though he did appear in 14 games for the Baltimore Ravens last year.

He was solid in a supporting role, catching 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns, though he hardly resembled the elite player who was a Pro Bowler in each of his first three seasons.

In Miami, he would be below players like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on the pecking order at wide receiver, while De'Von Achane has proven to be a huge playmaker in the passing game out of the backfield. But he would at least give the Dolphins another option.

Miami Dolphins third-string quarterback Tyler Huntley will make his second straight start in Sunday's road game against the New England Patriots, head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Tuesday.

Huntley, stepping in amid injuries to both starter Tua Tagovailoa and backup Skylar Thompson, went 14-of-22 for 96 passing yards during Monday's 31-12 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

The Dolphins signed Huntley off the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad on Sept. 16. With Tagovailoa and Thompson both injured, Tim Boyle is set to back him up this Sunday.

Thompson, who was designated as the Dolphins' emergency third quarterback ahead of Monday's loss, could alternatively serve as backup, although McDaniel told reporters on Tuesday that the quarterback's injury recovery process from his Week 3 rib injury has so far been "laborsome."

Boyle was elevated from the Dolphins' own practice squad shortly after the team signed Huntley. He has made one appearance this season in relief of Thompson during a Week 3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Before joining the Dolphins, Huntley spent four seasons with the Ravens, where he earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2022 after passing for 658 yards and running for 137 more while filling in for injured starter Lamar Jackson during Baltimore's run to the postseason.

With running back Raheem Mostert sidelined by a chest injury, Huntley served as the Dolphins' rushing leader against the Titans. He recorded eight carries for a team-high 40 yards and touchdown in the loss.

Tyler Huntley runs in the TD

📺: #TENvsMIA on ESPN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/1QrlqWt4kA

— NFL (@NFL) October 1, 2024

The debate as to whether Huntley should keep the starting job over Boyle or Thompson, depending on the latter's injury status, will continue for at least the next two weeks.

Tagovailoa, who was diagnosed with a concussion during a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills and subsequently placed on IR, can return for Week 8's home game against the Arizona Cardinals at the earliest.

Although ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday that Tagovailoa is currently "symptom-free," the Dolphins will need to take on both the the Patriots and Indianapolis Colts before reaching the team's Week 7 bye and the potential return of their QB1.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is "symptom-free" as he continues his recovery from a concussion he suffered in a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter (via Pro Football Network's Adam Beasley).

Schefter added that Tagovailoa could return as soon as Week 8, when Miami hosts the Arizona Cardinals.

Week 8 is also the earliest Tagovailoa is eligible to play. The Dolphins placed him on injured reserve, which requires him to miss a minimum of four games, and they have a bye in Week 6.

There's no question the team needs the 2023 Pro Bowler back under center.

Skylar Thompson was 13-of-19 for 107 yards before he suffered a rib injury in a 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Miami started Tyler Huntley on Monday against the Tennessee Titans and he threw for 96 yards on 22 attempts in a 31-12 defeat. The offense has looked terrible the last two weeks.

Watching this Dolphins offense the last 2 weeks makes it very clear how valuable Tua Tagovailoa is to it.

Idea that any QB can put up big points because they have Tyreek Hill & Jaylen Waddle is being proven false:

— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) October 1, 2024

Whether Miami should activate Tagovailoa is likely going to be a different question a lot of fans ask when we reach that point, though.

The 26-year-old has been diagnosed with three concussions as an NFL player and another when he was a junior at Alabama. In 2022, he was stretchered off the field after getting concussed in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

From the moment Tagovailoa got hurt this time, the gravity of the situation wasn't lost on fans and former players. Prominent voices suggested he should—if not retire straight away—think long and hard about his future in the NFL.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the southpaw has no intention of walking away from football. Schefter added he planned to meet with neurologists "to make the most informed decision about his future."

Even assuming he checks all of the necessary boxes and gets assurances from his specialists, the concern over Tagovailoa's health won't be going away entirely once he's playing again.

Having lost three straight games in which they have scored a combined total of 25 points, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is looking to make some changes to the offense.

Speaking to reporters after Monday's 31-12 loss to the Tennessee Titans, McDaniel explained that "everything is on the table" with regard to the offense as the Dolphins try to save their season.

"There will be things that will change; hard to say what those things are," he said. "There definitely is a need for it. That [performance is] not even close to good enough. You have to open yourself to all things."

The Dolphins have used three different starting quarterbacks already this season due to injuries. Tua Tagovailoa, who is on injured reserve after suffering a concussion in Week 2, will miss at least two more games.

Skylar Thompson, who started in Week 3, was inactive on Monday night after suffering a rib injury in the 24-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 22.

Tyler Huntley was signed off the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad on Sept. 16 after Tagovailoa's injury. He got the start against the Titans, finishing 14-of-22 for 96 yards passing and 40 yards with a touchdown on eight rushing attempts.

The touchdown from Huntley in the fourth quarter was the Dolphins' first time in the end zone since DeVon Achane scored in the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 2. They have fewer yards in the past two games combined (389) than in their Week 1 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars (400).

Achane, who averaged 7.8 yards per carry as a rookie, is down to 3.1 yards per attempt in four games this season. Tyreek Hill hasn't had more than 40 receiving yards in a game since Week 1.

There aren't a lot of options at quarterback at this point in the year. Ryan Tannehill is the best free agent on the market, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Sept. 18 that he's looking for a situation that would allow him to start for the entire season.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Tagovailoa has a "real possibility" to be back when he's eligible to be activated off IR before Week 8 and he's symptom-free after his latest concussion.

The Dolphins need to do something quickly to avoid having a lost season. They are currently tied with the New England Patriots for last place in the AFC East with a 1-3 record. Those two teams will play on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

Miami has a bye in Week 6 before taking on the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 20.

The Miami Dolphins' struggles continued on Monday as they lost to the previously winless Tennessee Titans 31-12.

With Tua Tagovailoa still on the injured reserve, the Dolphins' offense was sluggish. Quarterback Tyler Huntley had just 96 passing yards and Miami mustered just 106 yards on the ground as the Dolphins played conservatively compared to the high-powered offense fans grew accustomed to last season.

Titans' starting quarterback Will Levis suffered a shoulder injury in the first quarter of the matchup, prompting Tennessee to bring in backup Mason Rudolph under center. Even with its starting quarterback sidelined for most of the game, Tennessee had no trouble with Miami.

After the loss, fans voiced their frustration towards head coach Mike McDaniel, claiming he's incapable of managing on offense with Tagovailoa off the field.

Mike McDaniel is doing about as bad a coaching job as it’s possible to do in the NFL at the moment. People say that he was the one that saved Tua. The last few weeks it looks more and more like it was the other way round.

— Simon Clancy (@SiClancy) October 1, 2024

Retweet if Mike McDaniel should give up play calling

— 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙨🐬 (@FinsPhanatics) October 1, 2024

The biggest problem I see is Mike McDaniel is having a hard time dialing his offense back to fit the needs of a back up QB.

We saw sparks of what Huntley is good at in this last drive, but 3 penalties for illegal shifts is on the play caller.

— Louis (@hashtag_whiskey) October 1, 2024

I think Mike McDaniel might need to be relieved of his duties.

— Weenz (@DaWeenz) October 1, 2024

Play calling inexcusable tonight for Mike McDaniel and staff. I’ll never understand throwing it 4-5 yards behind the line or scrimmage when it’s 3 & short. He did it all night long. Did not put his team in a position to win. Hot seat has been activated….

— C. Hall (@CtopherHall) October 1, 2024

This Dolphins loss is solely on Mike McDaniel. He refused to call any plays downfield and out his team in a whole. Absolutely inept play calling and coaching.

— Steve Park (@stevepark0) October 1, 2024

So disappointed in Mike McDaniel. I expected so much more.

— Cam Ward SzN (@phins_fan44) October 1, 2024

https://twitter.com/langleyatl/status/1840941134593335487

https://twitter.com/6breeze_/status/1840940888370889069

I love when they pan to Mike McDaniel and he looks shocked as if he’s not the guy calling the plays.

Shocked not throwing downfield is yielding zero results

— BigHiltz (@HiltzyBaby) October 1, 2024

https://twitter.com/BillPalmer23/status/1840940511382720601

Unfortunately for McDaniel, he'll be without his star quarterback for at least two more games. By placing Tagovailoa on the injured reserve following his scary concussion in Week 2, the Dolphins committed to being without him until at least late October, though he could always end up missing more time than that.

In the meantime, McDaniel will need to figure out how to get things done without Tagovailoa on the field.

Even though it is missing Tagovailoa, Miami still has one of the best receivers in the league in Tyreek Hill and another strong option in Jaylen Waddle. Those two are capable of making plays downfield no matter who is under center, and McDaniel might want to consider getting them more involved moving forward.

Following Monday's loss, the Dolphins will have the chance to bounce back against an AFC East foe in the New England Patriots. Now sitting at 1-3 on the year, it's fair to say that matchup will be a crucial one.

As Skylar Thompson continues to recover from a rib injury suffered in last week's loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Tyler Huntley will start for the Miami Dolphins on Monday.

Head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Saturday that Huntley will be the starter against the Tennessee Titans and Tim Boyle will serve as the backup.

McDaniel explained the decision to go with Huntley because he has started "many big games" over the course of his career.

McDaniel, on why it'll be Snoop over Boyle: "I think one thing that was supremely obvious to the team since he got here ... is Snoop has started multiple and many big games."

— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) September 28, 2024

Thompson was injured midway when he was sacked by Tyrel Dodson on Miami's first possession of the second half and remained hunched over as he ran off the field. He came back for the Dolphins' next possession but stayed down when Dre'Mont Jones shoved him after a pass to De'Von Achane.

Boyle came in to finish the game after replacing Thompson. He finished 7-of-13 for 79 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. McDaniel told reporters afterward that Thompson suffered a "pretty painful" rib injury.

Per the team's official injury report, Thompson was a limited participant in practice on Thursday and Friday. Since they don't play until Monday night, they have one more practice scheduled for Saturday.

ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques noted on Thursday that Boyle and Huntley were splitting reps during the individual position drills during the portion of practice that was open to the media.

Thompson became the second Dolphins quarterback to suffer an injury in two weeks. Tua Tagovailoa was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 17 due to a concussion suffered in Miami's 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2.

The earliest Tagovailoa could potentially return is Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Huntley will be getting the start exactly two weeks after the Dolphins signed him off the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad on Sept. 16. He threw for 1,957 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions in 20 appearances (nine starts) over four seasons with the Ravens.

The 26-year-old also started for the Ravens in the AFC Wild Card game against the Cincinnati Bengals in January 2023 when Lamar Jackson was unavailable due to a knee injury. He finished 17-of-29 for 226 yards, two touchdowns and one interception through the air and 54 rushing yards on nine carries in a 24-17 loss.

Miami will look to snap its two-game losing streak when it hosts the Titans at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Either Tyler Huntley or Tim Boyle will be the Miami Dolphins' starting quarterback when the team hosts the Tennessee Titans on Monday evening.

On Thursday, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel made remarks about that QB battle, saying it was "premature" to name a starter right now for "competitive advantage" reasons while also noting that his desire to let the process play out in practice.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel thinks he knows how the QB battle between Tyler Huntley and Tim Boyle will play out, but he needs to see it happen in practice. pic.twitter.com/xiGJ7jBtPF

— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) September 26, 2024

Although a starter has not been named, Huntley appears to be the favorite, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

The collective view in our Dolphins media room here in Miami Gardens is that Tyler Huntley is the favorite to start Monday, unless the coaches don't like what they see in terms of grasp of offense, etc., over next three days.

— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) September 26, 2024

The Dolphins will turn to their third starting quarterback in four weeks. QB1 Tua Tagovailoa is on injured reserve after suffering a concussion on Sept. 12 against the Buffalo Bills.

Backup Skylar Thompson suffered a rib injury last Sunday in the third quarter of his team's 24-3 road loss to the Seattle Seahawks and did not return. It does not look like he will be ready for Monday, per Kelly.

Dolphins QB Skylar Thompson was at practice, but looked labored and was seemingly in pain.

He needed help putting on his jersey.

Very slim odds he’s playing on Monday unless ribs miraculously heal. pic.twitter.com/URk88sev1B

— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) September 26, 2024

Boyle, who started the year on the practice squad and was elevated to the main roster after Tagovailoa went on IR, played the remainder of the game.

Huntley, who was signed off the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad on Sept. 16, was the team's emergency quarterback for the Seahawks game. He has since been elevated to the active roster.

Signs are ultimately pointing to Huntley being the starter. McDaniel had some nice comments about the new potential QB1 Monday when speaking about him with reporters.

#Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel on QB Tyler Huntley:

“I see him gaining the confidence of his teammates ... you can tell he's cut from the right cloth."

— Safid Deen 💯💯💯💯 (@Safid_Deen) September 26, 2024

Coach Mike McDaniel said he’s happy with where Tyler Huntley is at in terms of learning the playbook. He emphasized that with QBs “you want to make sure that you’re doing right by them” when they actually see the field

— c. isaiah smalls ii (@stclaudeii) September 26, 2024

The 26-year-old Huntley has played all four of his NFL seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He's started nine regular-season games in place of two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.

For his career, Huntley has completed 221-of-342 passes (64.6 percent completion rate) for 1,957 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions, rushing for 509 yards and three scores as well.

Huntley also started for an injured Jackson in the Ravens' loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2022 AFC Wild Card round, completing 17-of-29 passes for 226 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while rushing for 54 yards on nine carries.