The first season with the Miami Dolphins for wide receiver Tyreek Hill was a special one. Many people were questioning the move for him, as he was going from catching passes from Patrick Mahomes to Tua Tagovailoa. It wasn’t something he was worried about and any doubters were quickly quieted.
Tyreek Hill had a monster season on South Beach, setting multiple career highs. He caught 119 passes for 1,710 yards, both career bests while scoring seven touchdowns. That was enough for him to make the Pro Bowl roster for the seventh time in as many pro seasons while earning an All-Pro First Team spot for the fourth time.
It was a truly special season for Tyreek Hill, who was acquired by the Dolphins last offseason from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for five draft picks, first, second and fourth-rounders in 2022 and then fourth and sixth-rounders in 2023. He subsequently signed a record-setting four-year, $120 million deal with $72.2 million guaranteed.
Through one season, he is certainly living up to the billing. What could Tyreek Hill have as an encore performance? During a recent episode of his podcast, “It Needed To Be Said”, he revealed the lofty goal that he has for the 2023 season.
“I will break 2,000 yards next year, bro,” Hill said. “2,000 yards was on my bucket list to get before I leave this league … 2,000 yards and another Super Bowl — we getting that. Believe that.” (H/T ESPN)
The 2,000-yard mark is one no receiver has ever surpassed. The closest would be Calvin Johnson in 2012 when he set the mark for most receiving yards in a single season with 1,964. At points during the 2022 season, it looked as if that number would be broken by Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson, but he cooled off at the end of the regular season.
It was a number that Tyreek Hill was also on pace to break as he had 1,104 yards in his first nine games of the season. But, injuries at the quarterback position derailed his pace, as Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater both missed time, forcing seventh-round rookie Skylar Thompson into the lineup.
Even more impressive is the fact that Tyreek Hill was relying mostly on his athleticism and football acumen to make plays last season. He admitted that he didn’t fully grasp the Dolphins’ playbook, which makes his performance all that more shocking.
“Last year, I was just out there balling,” he said in June. “I was just out there just using all athleticism. Like, ‘Here, [Dolphins quarterback] Tua [Tagovailoa], I’m going to be here and we’re just going to do that.’ So, this year should be a crazier year not only for me, but for also for the other wideouts.” (H/T ESPN)
With another year in the system under his belt and no real competition added for targets, Tyreek Hill certainly has a chance to break the 2,000-yard mark. The health of himself and Tagovailoa is most important as Tyreek Hill needs his starting quarterback healthy and ready to go if he is to rewrite the league’s record book in 2023.
