After the regular season came to an end, the Miami Dolphins wasted no time and made some big decisions. Owner Stephen Ross announced the dismissal of head coach Mike McDaniel after four seasons. 

Then, with the help of Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, who served as a consultant for the Dolphins, Miami hired Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan as their new general manager. He will succeed Chris Grier, who spent 26 years with the organization in different roles.

Dolphins Could Get Cap Relief With Release of All-Pro

The Dolphins’ new management group will have to make a few tough decisions in their first offseason. Perhaps none more important than the decision of five-time All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins star receiver has a $51 million cap hit in the 2026 season, and he’ll be coming off a dislocated knee injury that cost him a majority of the season. His 2025 season carried a $27.6 million cap hit. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, stated that Hill will be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season. Despite that, a $51 million cap hit for a receiver coming off a major injury may be too much for the Dolphins to take on.

ESPN analyst Marcel Louis-Jacques said, “there’s no way Hill returns on his current deal — if at all.” Additionally, Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson said, Tyreek Hill is “expected to be a cap casualty.” Hill has no guaranteed money left on his deal.

If released Tyreek Hill would count as $28 million in dead money for the Dolphins’ cap space while generating $22 million in cap savings. However, if released after June 1 the Dolphins would gain $35 million in cap savings while only having $15.8 million in dead money.  Miami does not have to wait until after June 1, as it can designate Hill as a post-June 1 cut prior to that date. According to Over The Cap, “A team is allowed to declare a player a post June 1 cut and get the benefit of the June 1st salary cap treatment while also avoiding any offseason payments or guarantees from kicking in.”

The decision will be made by newly appointed general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. He had previously said, “You build through the draft, it’s a young man’s game.” Tyreek Hill will be 32 years old in the 2026 season.

Tyreek Hill’s Tenure With The Miami Dolphins

Hill’s four-year tenure with the Miami Dolphins produced two All-Pro seasons, two top-10 MVP finishes, a receiving yards title, receiving touchdown title, and the two best seasons by a Dolphins wide receiver in the team’s history.

After acquiring Tyreek Hill from the Chiefs, Miami made the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Unfortunately, the team was unable to win a playoff game in either of their two playoff games. The Chiefs meanwhile utilized the assets given up by the Dolphins in the trade and won back-to-back Super Bowls. The two teams faced off in the playoffs in 2023. The Chiefs won 26-7 in the fourth coldest game in NFL history. Hill scored the lone points for the Dolphins in that game.

His last game as a Dolphin was a 27-21 win over the Jets on Monday Night Football. Hill had six receptions for 67 yards before suffering a dislocated knee in the third quarter.