Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was targeted for three incompletions during Sunday's 29-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers and Hill attributed the miscues to a lack of practice reps with starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

"I feel like, at the end of the day, I need those valuable reps with Tua," Hill said after the game, according to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques. "Those vet rest days are starting to show. I completely blame myself for not getting my head around and not seeing the ball because, if I see a ball, we're talking cross-court, 70-yard touchdown. But those Wednesday reps are definitely showing. As a leader, I've just got to be able to bite the bullet sometime and practice and get those valuable reps with QB1 because, if we're able to stay on the field on third down, who knows what could happen."

Hill was targeted seven total times with three receptions, 29 yards and one touchdown in the victory. In addition, Tagovailoa completed 22-of-34 passes for 215 yards and one touchdown.

"On the deep ball, it was tipped by the defensive back, and on the other one, it's just, again, missing those valuable reps with the quarterback," Hill said, per Louis-Jacques. "One thing I learned from Coach Reid whenever I was in Kansas City, I was blessed to be able to play under such a great head coach, is you can't just show up on Sunday. You've got to be able to prepare yourself Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, even Saturday. Then when it's Sunday, it's easy."

The wide receiver's first dropped pass came on a third-down attempt during Miami's opening drive, leading to a punt. Later in the first quarter, Hill dropped another potential third-down conversion in the end zone, though the pass was slightly tipped by 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir. The drive ended with a successful field goal by Jason Sanders.

Hill's final drop occurred late in the third quarter, once again in the end zone on a third-down attempt. The miscue led to another successful field goal for Miami.

Before the game, Hill was listed as questionable due to a wrist injury he has dealt with throughout the season. According to Louis-Jacques, Hill missed Wednesday practices in two of the last four weeks and has been listed as "limited or worse" in at least one practice each week during that span.

Leading up to Sunday's game, Hill missed Wednesday's practice, participated fully on Thursday and was limited on Friday.

The Miami Dolphins' playoff hopes stayed alive on Sunday.

Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins secured a hard-fought 29-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers at Hard Rock Stadium.

The 49ers had an opportunity to potentially take the lead with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, but an interception by Brock Purdy and a 50-yard rushing touchdown by De'Von Achane sealed the final result.

Achane ended the game with 190 all-purpose yards and a score on 23 touches.

As for Tagovailoa, he finished 22-of-34 for 215 yards to go along with a touchdown.

The 26-year-old has now racked up 13 touchdown passes compared to a mere three interceptions over his past six starts.

Fans praised Tagovailoa and the Dolphins for the efforts in the contest.

The 49ers were already eliminated from playoff contention prior to the opening kickoff, but they nearly pulled out a win in the fourth quarter.

Purdy finished 26-of-40 for 313 yards and two touchdowns to go along with an interception. He was also sacked three times.

The Dolphins improved to 7-8 and will need to win their final two regular-season games in order to stay in the AFC postseason picture.

Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill provided some clarification regarding his cryptic social media post on Wednesday.

"What I meant was, 'When I say it's time for me to go coach, meaning that when you see guys like Teddy Bridgewater, you see guys like Michael Vick getting his head coaching job, it's like, bro, I want to be a coach also when I'm done playing,'' Hill explained, per Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post. "You know what I'm saying? So that's all I meant by it."

Hill added:

"I didn't mean by I want to get traded or I want to leave Miami. I'm in a great situation here. I love the guys here. I love this organization. They obviously changed me and my family's life, you know what I'm saying, forever. So I'm in a great spot, man. I'm happy. I wish we were playing better ball, but at the end of the day, like I feel like when I tweet something, it's not always about football.

"It's about, you know, seeing these other guys, you know, succeed in other areas like Deion Sanders and stuff like that. So I was just shooting my shot. I really had Michael Vick like, 'Hey, it's time for me to go coach with Vick,' you know what I'm saying?"

The wide receiver previously caused some confusion surrounding his future with the team in a post on X.

"It's time for me to go coach," Hill wrote.

The 30-year-old hasn't been able to build upon a stellar 2023 campaign in which he racked up 1,799 receiving yards and finished No. 2 in Offensive Player of the Year voting.

In 14 starts this season, Hill has caught 67 passes for 805 yards and five touchdowns. His average of 57.5 receiving yards per game is the lowest mark since his rookie season in 2016.

The Dolphins currently sit outside of the AFC playoff picture at 6-8 and will need some help to secure a postseason berth. It's worth noting that starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missed four games due to a concussion, but the team still owns a mere 5-5 record in his 10 starts.

Hill didn't appear to be eyeing a change of scenery and was just speculating on his own future once his playing days are over, though.

On Tuesday, former four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Michael Vick reached an agreement to become the new head football coach at Norfolk State.

Teddy Bridgewater, another former quarterback with a Pro Bowl nod under his belt, led Miami (Florida) Northwestern to a state title in his first year as a high school football coach. He still has interest in a return to the NFL, though.

Deion Sanders is another example of a former NFL star experiencing success patrolling the sidelines, leading Colorado to a 9-3 record in 2024 after the Buffaloes reached nine total wins over the previous three seasons combined.

While Hill hasn't looked like his usual self on the field this season, he's not attempting to be traded from the Dolphins anytime soon.

Calais Campbell's time with the Miami Dolphins could come to an end before the season is over.

Per The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, the defensive tackle being released from Miami to join a contender is "still in play." Jackson noted that Campbell wouldn't be released until after the Dolphins are eliminated from playoff contention.

Campbell, a 17-year veteran, has remained productive at 38 years old, totaling 43 tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble and five passes defended this year.

Amid a rough season for Miami, the Dolphins reportedly nearly traded Campbell ahead of the deadline. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported in November that the Baltimore Ravens worked on a deal to land Campbell, but "the Dolphins pulled away from the table at the last minute."

Campbell spent three seasons in Baltimore from 2020 to 2022. Perhaps Baltimore will consider signing the veteran should Miami release him.

Week 16 could be the Dolphins' last as a playoff hopeful as they find themselves on the brink of elimination. A Miami loss or tie to the San Francisco 49ers plus a win for the Los Angeles Chargers this week would eliminate the Dolphins from the playoffs.

Even if Miami can survive elimination this week, its odds of reaching the playoffs are slim as ESPN gives the Dolphins just a 4.5 percent chance to make the postseason. They would need to win their remaining games against the 49ers, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets while getting some external help from other teams.

Though Campbell likely would have preferred to help lead Miami to the Super Bowl this season, joining a playoff contender could give the six-time Pro Bowler a chance to win a championship before the end of his career.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Grant DuBose is expected to return home on Wednesday after a scary hit against the Houston Texans on Sunday left him hospitalized, per Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.

DuBose attempted to catch a pass while cutting across the middle of the field on Sunday when he took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Texans' safety Calen Bullock. DuBose received medical attention on the field before being stretchered off in a neck brace and taken to a Houston hospital.

Following the game, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said there was "positive feedback" from DuBose's head and neck scans, though he was still kept in the hospital overnight. Miami provided another update on Monday, reiterating that the initial tests had shown "positive results" and that DuBose had "movement in all extremities."

On Tuesday, the Dolphins placed DuBose on the injured reserve, ending his season with just three games remaining.

DuBose, who the Green Bay Packers selected in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL draft, was claimed off of waivers by Miami ahead of the 2024 season, but played just two games before landing on the injured reserve due to a shoulder injury in September. After a few months on the IR, he returned to practice last Wednesday.

DuBose has logged just three games since being drafted, bringing in two receptions for 11 yards.

Bullock, who received an unnecessary roughness penalty for his hit on DuBose, said after the game that he was trying to make a play on the ball, and "it just happened to be one of those type of plays."

"My intentions was never to go out and hurt nobody, that's never any of our intention. So, prayers out to him and his family. I hope he's good. I was breaking on the ball," Bullock said, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. "And it just happened to be one of those type of plays."

The hit from Bullock came just one game after his teammate, Azeez Al-Shaair, received a three-game suspension for an illegal hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence, who was attempting to slide when he got hit in the head, left the game with a concussion.

Following a Week 15 loss to the Houston Texans that dropped the Miami Dolphins' record to 6-8, star wide receiver Tyreek Hill delivered a message on social media that raised some eyebrows.

On Wednesday, Hill tweeted, "It's time for me to go coach" without offering further explanation.

The lack of punctuation in Hill's tweet caused some fans to question whether he was declaring his intentions to try his hand at coaching or sending a message to Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel:

Hill didn't respond to any questions, but he posted another tweet that indicated his stress level has reached a new high:

While Hill leads Miami with 805 receiving yards while adding 67 catches and five touchdowns, he's well below the blistering pace he set in 2023 when he led the NFL with a Dolphins franchise record of 1,799 receiving yards. The 30-year-old has reached the 100-yard mark just twice in 14 games this season.

The disappointing season for Miami has raised questions about McDaniel's job security. After a loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football last month, former Dolphins running back Reggie Bush called out McDaniel on social media, writing in an Instagram comment, "Fire the coach he should have never had the opportunity he sucks."

If McDaniel were to lose his job, it's unlikely that Hill would take his place on the sidelines, so it remains to be seen if there will be any clarification of what the eight-time Pro Bowler meant by his tweets.

The Dolphins will try to bounce back when they host the San Francisco 49ers (6-8) on Sunday.

Former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is officially a free agent after clearing waivers on Monday, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.

The Dolphins announced on Friday that they were parting ways with him, placing him on waivers after a challenging season.

The Dolphins still owe the Beckham Jr. $200,000 to be paid out for the remainder of the 2024 season after signing a one-year, $3 million contract in May.

Odell Beckham Jr. started the 2024 season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, reportedly addressing minor issues to ease his transition back into action. He made his season debut in Week 5, playing 33 snaps across his first three games but failing to record a single reception.

The 32-year-old wide receiver was listed behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle on the Dolphins' depth chart, which limited his opportunities. He finished the season with just nine receptions for 55 yards and no touchdowns.

After an impressive five-year stint with the New York Giants, where he tallied 5,475 receiving yards, 44 touchdowns and earned three Pro Bowl selections, Beckham Jr. has struggled to find long-term stability. He has spent one season or less with each of his last three teams: the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens.

NFL Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Sunday that the veteran has a "short list" of teams that he would like to join following his release from Miami. However, "it's not entirely clear where that list begins and ends," according to Pelissero, "The focus for Beckham is to land in the right situation."

The Miami Dolphins' playoff hopes are all but extinguished. They have Tua Tagovailoa, in large part, to thank for that bleak outlook.

The veteran quarterback had a rough outing on Sunday against the Houston Texans, throwing three interceptions while losing a fumble in a 20-12 loss.

Tagovailoa threw for 196 yards and a touchdown but was sacked three times and finished with four turnovers. He had a chance to lead a game-tying drive with just under two minutes remaining but threw his third interception of the day on the very first play.

And that had fans and pundits on social media taking their shots:

The loss dropped the Dolphins to 6-8 on the season, and more importantly, pushed them 2.5 games back of the Los Angeles Chargers (8-5) for the No. 6 seed and 2.5 games back of the Denver Broncos (8-5) for the No. 7 seed.

Both teams play later on Sunday and could push the advantage to three full games. Miami, in other words, will need to be perfect to finish the regular season and will also need either the Chargers or Broncos to have a full meltdown. They would also need the Indianapolis Colts (6-7) to struggle down the stretch.

It's a huge ask. Sunday's effort wasn't exactly a vote of confidence in the Dolphins even handling their end of the bargain.

The Dolphins only rushed for 52 yards and had 224 yards of total offense. The offense's inept play spoiled a strong showing from the defense, which only gave up 181 yards. But Miami's turnovers directly led to 10 points for Houston and also ended the game on the final drive.

They perhaps ended Miami's postseason aspirations, too. It was a performance that Tagovailoa will wish he could have back.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Grant DuBose was carted off the field Sunday after a scary hit from Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock.

The Dolphins announced he was in stable condition, but he was ruled out with a head injury and taken to a hospital for evaluation.

After the game, head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters there was "positive feedback" following DuBose's head and neck scans, although he will stay in the hospital overnight.

The team provided an update Monday morning, noting that the initial tests have shown "positive results":

DuBose attempted to catch a pass while cutting across the middle of the field and took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Bullock. Bullock was flagged for unnecessary roughness.

DuBose then had his jersey cut off and his helmet removed and was in a neck brace as he was carted off the field.

DuBose, a seventh-round pick out of Charlotte in 2023, was appearing in just the third game of his career on Sunday. He had one reception for 13 yards coming into the contest.

Bullock is the second Texans player this month to be flagged for an unnecessary roughness call that left another player with a scary injury. Earlier in December, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair hit Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence as he attempted to slide, giving Lawrence a concussion.

The NFL suspended Al-Shaair three games for repeated violations of player safety rules and the league called his hit "unacceptable" and said his "continued disregard" for rules governing player safety "will not be tolerated."

Bullock, a rookie out of USC, has never been fined or suspended whereas Al-Shaair had previously picked up fines for unsportsmanlike actions. His past actions factored into his three-game suspension.

The Dolphins, sitting at 6-7 on the year, are hoping for a miraculous finish to the end of the season to reach the playoffs. A win over the Texans would go a long way, but they would still need to be perfect in their last three games to have any chance of reaching the postseason.