According to Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins have forced the football to Tyreek Hill in 2023 in hopes of getting the receiver to 2,000 yards.
“Last year, in some ways, we really tried to help (Hill) get to the 2,000-yard mark,” Tagovailoa said in an interview with Dan Le Batard earlier this week. “It wasn’t like we were trying to hide it. It was pretty obvious, you know, we were trying to pass him the ball and so on.”
“We all have such a good relationship off the field that Jaylen (Waddle) can come to me at any time — even during games — and tell me, ‘Dude, I’m not doing this. I need some shine too.’ … (Hill) would think that was cool. Well, the cool thing about it was that (Waddle) knew we wanted to do this for (Hill), and he said, ‘Dude, I’m just here to support.'”
Hill made it clear before the 2023 season that 2,000 receiving yards – a number no NFL player has ever reached in a single season – was his personal goal. He was on track to reach that milestone until an ankle injury derailed his chances in December. Still, he finished the season with 1,799 yards, a Dolphins franchise record and the seventh-most in NFL history.
The idea that the Dolphins were trying to pass the ball to Hill so he could make history isn’t exactly surprising. He’s arguably the most dangerous weapon in the NFL, and his outstanding season helped Miami finish the year ranked No. 1 in total offense and No. 2 in points scored.
Still, it’s a bit of a surprise to see Tagovailoa admit that. Personal accolades are usually viewed as “selfish” or detrimental to team goals, and Tagovailoa says the Dolphins have made Hill’s ambitions an offensive priority.
Hill even seems to think so. At the start of this year’s training camp, he told reporters that, in hindsight, he wasn’t comfortable with his 2,000-yard goal.
“The position that I’m in and being one of the leaders and just highlighting an individual goal like that – because I’ve had time to look at it and talk to my family about it – is very selfish of me,” Hill said in July.
“Going forward… I want us to A: win a playoff game. That would be great. That’s what we’ll start with. And then if we continue to build from there, we’ll get to the Super Bowl. It’s one step at a time. If I can help this team do something special as a team goal, I would definitely consider that a personal goal. And that will feel good.”
Maybe moving the 2,000-yard goal away will help the Dolphins distribute the ball better. On the other hand, it’s not a bad idea to use Hill, a player who can turn virtually any play into a touchdown.
