Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill vows to show 'the best version' of himself this season
'I literally heard that all offseason some kind of way on YouTube shorts because my kids stay on YouTube,' Hill said Tuesday as Dolphins veterans reported to training camp. 'And I'm like, I don't want to put that out there for my boys to see.'
Hill has made headlines – good and bad – throughout his career. Last season's outburst that included taking himself out in the second half of Miami's regular-season finale against the New York Jets was an example of antics the All-Pro receiver said can't continue to happen. He has since had talks with teammates and coach Mike McDaniel on how to be more of a leader moving forward, especially as he hopes to help the Dolphins deliver the playoff win that has eluded them for more than two decades.
'That's why this year, this whole entire offseason, I've been busting my tail,' Hill said. 'I told my dad, I said I want to see what it looks like whenever I focus just on football and I just focus on myself and family. Because I feel like I really haven't been giving the best version of me of Tyreek my whole entire career. … I just want to see what that version of myself looks like. I'm looking forward to it.'
Hill is coming off one of his worst seasons as a pro in 2024. He finished with 81 catches for 959 yards and six touchdowns – his fewest receptions and yards since an injury-filled 2019 season when he played for Kansas City and a steep drop-off from his NFL-leading 2023 season in which he caught 119 passes for 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns. He said he's finding motivation for the upcoming season in a few places, such as family.
'My kids are Justin Jefferson fanatics,' Hill quipped. 'They really enjoy Justin Jefferson a lot. I was talking to my son on FaceTime last night and his mom told me, 'One of the kids came up to him and was like, 'You're Tyreek Hill's son?'' And he was like, 'No, Justin Jefferson's my dad.''
'We play jokes with each other,' Hill added, 'so I know it's in the spirit of just playing jokes and just having fun. That's what keeps me hungry, man. Just trying to continue to stay at the top, continuing to be a leader in my household for my kids.'
Hill has spent the offseason recovering from the wrist injury that limited him in 2024 and becoming more lean. His offseason training also included winning a 100-meter race in 10.15 seconds last month in California – a sign that he still possesses all of his trademark speed as he enters his 10th NFL season.
'Today was our conditioning test,' Hill said, 'and at 31 years old, I must say I haven't lost a step.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Following Venus Williams' comment on health insurance, here's what to know about athlete coverage
Venus Williams' recent singles win at the D.C. Open showcased her longevity and brought attention to health coverage for aging athletes following a joking comment she made in an on-court interview. 'I had to come back for the insurance,' the five-time Wimbledon champion said after Tuesday's match, her first in 16 months. 'They informed me this year that I'm on COBRA, so it's like I got to get my benefits on.' The 45-year-old Williams, who has won seven major singles titles in her career, became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match in professional tennis with Tuesday's victory. After losing on Thursday, she acknowledged that her comment on health insurance was 'a fun and funny moment.' The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, more commonly referred to as COBRA, allows Americans to stay on their employer's insurance plan for a limited amount of time after leaving their job. It comes with high costs. Williams' comment led to questions about health insurance in the sports world. For most active professional athletes, partially or fully subsidized health insurance is provided by their league or governing body and guaranteed in their collective bargaining agreement. A CBA is an agreement reached between a league and its players that guarantees certain levels of player compensation and benefits and can be renegotiated every few years. So, when athletes are playing, they're usually covered. But Williams coming back to the sport after a 16-month hiatus brought to light how long that insurance lasts – or doesn't last – for athletes when they're not playing. Women's Tennis: In the WTA, the governing body of the women's tour, players are eligible to enroll in the health insurance plan if they are ranked in the top 500 in singles or top 175 in doubles and have played a minimum of three WTA 250 level or above tournaments that year. If players are in the top 150 in singles or top 50 in doubles, the WTA will pay a portion of the premiums. If a player is no longer eligible under those requirements, they can enroll in COBRA for up to 18 months, which is likely the situation that Williams was referencing. That is also the WTA's only option for retiring players. 'Nobody wants to be on COBRA, right?' Williams said after her second-round loss on Thursday night. 'That remains an issue in my life … Obviously (the interview was) a fun and funny moment, but it's an issue that people are dealing with, so it is serious.' Men's Tennis: The ATP provides health insurance to men's tennis players who rank in the top 250 in singles or top 50 in doubles. All other players with a ranking point are given the opportunity to purchase health insurance through the ATP's provider. For retired players, the only option is COBRA for up to three years. Golf: As an individual sport without a CBA, golf tours vary. They do have a group insurance plan that is available to active members of the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champions (the tour for golfers over 50), and the Korn Ferry Tour (the feeder circuit for the PGA). For players who meet certain performance criteria, including how many tournaments they played and how often they won, the PGA will partially subsidize the plan. In retirement, players are responsible for their own insurance. Some players join the PGA Tour Champions after the PGA Tour and play into their mid-60s, during which they maintain coverage. Top players can receive a subsidy from the PGA in retirement. The LPGA Tour, the women's professional golf tour, started offering its players fully funded health insurance for the first time this year. Before this year, players were given a 4000 stipend. NBA: NBA players have access to one of the most inclusive insurance plans in retirement. If they played at least three years in the league, retired NBA players are eligible for fully-funded health insurance in retirement, and if they played at least 10 years, they will have healthcare covered for their entire family. WNBA: WNBA players are fighting for retirement healthcare as part of their new CBA, which they are currently negotiating with the league. Those negotiations have been heated, and the most recent meeting between the two sides last weekend did not result in an agreement. One unique facet of the W's healthcare is that athletes who have spent more than eight years in the league can be reimbursed up to 20000 a year for costs related to adoption, surrogacy, egg freezing, or additional fertility treatments. NFL: The NFL has less long-term coverage for retirees than most other team sport leagues – athletes who played in the league for at least three years can remain on the NFL health insurance plan but only for five years into retirement. NHL: NHL players who have played more than 160 games with the league, which is about two seasons, are eligible to buy NHL health insurance for their retirement. The retirement insurance plan is eligible for partial subsidization from the league. MLB: Baseball players who spent at least four years in the league have the option to pay premiums to stay on the MLB's healthcare plan indefinitely. Minor League Baseball has its own separate CBA, which also guarantees health insurance for active players. In the minors, however, players who get cut or leave the league lose coverage at the end of that month.
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
With new contract, Ja'marr Chase already playing hard at Bengals training camp
Bengals wide receiver JaMarr Chase didn't participate in training camp last year as he tried to negotiate a contract extension. While he went on to become the sixth wide receiver in the Super Bowl era to lead the league in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown catches in the same season, Chase still felt like he missed something by not being a part of practices leading up to the first week of the season. 'I love to work,' Chase said. 'I'm a workaholic. I love to work. Joe asked me today, 'Am I tired?' I said, 'Call the play while I'm tired.' At the end of the day when it's the fourth quarter and I'm tired, they're not going to ask me if I'm tired. It's all about how hard you can push yourself at the end of the day, especially on days like this. As long as you get 1 percent better each day, that's how you improve.' For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Chase was present at all of training camp last year, but he watched it from the sideline as a part of a hold-in. He went on to receive the lucrative contract he was looking for in March, but he bet on himself entering 2024 and played on his rookie contract. He only received a few last-minute practice reps leading into the first week of the 2024 season. While he started a bit slow, Chase still had a terrific season. He was a unanimous All-Pro last season, finishing the year with 127 receptions for 1,708 receiving yards, as well as 17 receiving touchdowns. But Chase's two worst games of the season were the first two weeks. That included an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in Week 2 at Kansas City after he thought a penalty should have been called for a hip-drop tackle on him. 'I had great legs last year,' Chase said. 'Like I said, I love to work. At the end of the day, I get to work on stuff that I didn't work on last year and getting that real feel from the (defensive back) and working on certain things that I wanted to do this year. I get a chance to do it in camp now instead of just doing it in games.' Chase has been an active receiver and target of quarterback Joe Burrow during the first two training camp practices. 'There's a reason you're All-Pro at the end of the day and one of the best in the league,' Chase said. 'So you're supposed to have on and off switch and go out and do it.' This season, as All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson enters the final year of his contract, he's in a similar position as Chase was last season. Unlike Chase, Hendrickson isn't present on the sidelines at Bengals practices. Hendrickson is working out in Florida as he tries to negotiate a new contract. 'I don't really know much about what Trey got going on in his situation,' Chase said. 'I'm not in his situation anymore. I'm sure everyone wants to be treated the same. That's the hard part with stuff like this. End of the day, it's not really him making the decision. I just wish the best for him and hope he pulls it off.'
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Astros place left-hander brandon walter on injured list with elbow inflammation
The Houston Astros placed left-handed starter Brandon Walter on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Thursday with left elbow inflammation. Walter becomes the 18th Houston player currently on the team's injured list. In a corresponding move, right-handed reliever Nick Hernandez was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land. Walter is 1-3 with a 3.35 ERA in nine starts for the Astros this season with 52 strikeouts and four walks. He allowed two or fewer runs in seven starts and limited the Diamondbacks to one run over a career-high seven innings on Wednesday. Walter is Houston's eighth starting pitcher on the injured list. Right-handers Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco are out for the season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. Right-handers Cristian Javier, Spencer Arrighetti, Luis Garcia, and J.P. France have recently started rehab assignments. Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. was placed on the injured list Saturday due to a blister on a finger of his right hand.
