It wasn’t clear if Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill would play against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night. Not only did he play, but Hill also ended the longest touchdown drought of his NFL career in the Dolphins’ 23-15 victory.
Known for his big plays, Hill scored on a 1-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa in the third quarter, giving the Dolphins (3-6) a 17-6 lead. Hill had gone seven games without scoring a touchdown since catching one in the season opener against Jacksonville, where he also had a season-high 130 yards on seven receptions.
“I didn’t know that, which is crazy, man,” Hill said. “Yeah, it’s a blessing to be back in the end zone. Man, I’m grateful to be a part of this team. However I can help this team, I’m all for winning. It don’t matter about me scoring, man. It’s about winning. It’s the importance of being able to do something special amongst these guys.”
Hill had been questionable for the game because of a torn ligament in his wrist. He missed two days of practice last week, and Tagovailoa said the team didn’t know until Sunday night whether Hill would be able to play.
Fellow receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was confident that Hill would be on the field.
“I mean, I don’t feel like he wasn’t gonna play, injury or not,” Beckham said. “Nah. There’s no way he wasn’t gonna play on ‘Monday Night Football’ when we’re in a must-win situation. So just for him to be able to do that, score, he knows how much he means to this team, so we appreciate him.”
Hill finished the game with three receptions for 16 yards. This was his second-lowest receiving total of the season, after catching just one pass for 8 yards at Indianapolis in Week 7. Hill also added 11 yards rushing on two carries.
Although he scored, his stat line doesn’t do much to improve what is shaping up to be Hill’s least productive season since his rookie year in Kansas City in 2016. He now has 37 receptions for 462 yards and two touchdowns, a sharp drop after recording over 1,700 yards in each of his first two seasons with the Dolphins.
Before joining Miami, Hill spent six seasons with the Chiefs.
At 30 years old, Hill had at least 1,200 yards receiving in each of the last four seasons. He led the NFL in 2023 with 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns, and in August, he agreed to a restructured contract with more guaranteed money.
Much of this season’s dip in production can be linked to an extended absence of Tagovailoa due to a concussion. But Tagovailoa said neither Hill nor Jaylen Waddle pushed to make up for lost numbers since Tagovailoa’s return in Week 8, even though the Rams’ defense mostly played conservative pass coverages.
“Coming into this game, they could have easily said, like, ‘Dude, just continue to throw the ball, even if they’re in a two-high shell,’” Tagovailoa said. “But those guys are in it, man. They’re just in it to win it.”
