Tyreek Hill left his team in the third quarter of the Dolphins' loss to the Jets on Sunday, leaving his Miami teammates stunned.
During a Jets challenge in the third quarter, the exact moment Hill tapped out was caught on camera.
When Dolphins star receiver Jaylen Waddle raised his hand in confusion, a voice picked him up and addressed Hill by his nickname. “Hey, Cheetah. Are you done?”
Fellow receivers River Cracraft and Malik Washington also seemed to know during that scene that Hill was indeed done for the day.
During the drive, quarterback Tyler Huntley connected with Washington for 12 yards and the Jets missed a challenge before giving up a touchdown and cutting Gang Green's lead to 18-13.
After the game, Hill said he was “dealing with a little issue” and claimed that “coach kind of pulled me out of the game.”
But coach Mike McDaniel said he learned of Hill's absence just before the drive. His interpretation contradicted that of the star receiver.
“I wasn't told it was a new injury,” McDaniel said. “And, you know, at that point my focus was on the players and I don't think I took the time to try to understand it more. There were players on the field competing and we won the game. That's what I was concentrating on.''
Some speculate that the Dolphins' star receiver looked at the scoreboard and realized that the Broncos ended up winning 38-0, energizing the Chiefs' reserves. As a result, Miami will be eliminated from the playoffs regardless of the outcome of the game against the Jets.
Hill was noticeably frustrated after the game, missing the playoffs for the first time in his career and opening the door for him to leave the Dolphins.
“This is the first time I've missed the playoffs, so I had to do what was best for me and my family,” Hill said after the game. “I'm going to open that door myself. I'm opening the door. I'm out, brother. It was great to play here, but at the end of the day, I have to do what's best for my career. I can't because I'm too much of a competitor just to be there.”
This isn't the first time a star receiver has left a team at MetLife Stadium. Buccaneers receiver Antonio Brown was literally on the left side when he ripped his pads off during a wild scene in January 2022.
That would be his last game in the NFL, and Hill temporarily changed his X profile to the photo pressed by Brown from that fateful day.
Hill and the Dolphins have likely reconciled their differences, at least for now, as he met with general manager Chris Grier and McDaniel and did not request a trade.
McDaniel said he made it clear to Hill that he would not accept being ejected from the game again if Hill returns for a fourth season in Miami.
“We spoke unwaveringly about multiple things, including that walking away from the game is not and will not be acceptable, and he has accepted accountability,” McDaniel said Tuesday.
