Tyreek Hill admits he 'didn't understand' Dolphins offense, says Tua Tagovailoa's comments were 'needed'
"I'm gonna' be completely honest," Hill told reporters Friday at Dolphins training camp. "I didn't understand the offense for the first three years of me being here. But this year, I feel like coach [Bobby Slowik] has explained it a lot."
Slowik, who achieved enormous success and then a head-scratching drop-off in his two seasons as the Houston Texans' offensive coordinator, is in his first year as Miami's senior pass-game coordinator. Hill said Slowik has simplified the Dolphins' offense, particularly in regard to route detail.
Hill added: "We're taking notes in the meeting rooms, which is great, something I've never done in my career. I'm taking notes in meeting rooms — even if I know it, I'm taking notes. So he definitely helped us all, man. He's been great."
Hill also credited his first-year wide receivers coach, Robert Prince. Following three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys in that same role, Prince teamed up with McDaniel.
"Coach RP, he's been great," Hill said. "He has has been getting on me and [Jaylen] Waddle's nerve since he's got here. But I think it's great, though. That accountability piece is something that we needed and then also pushing us every day."
It's hard to believe this is the first time in Hill's six-time All-Pro career that he's taking notes in the meeting room, especially considering he started his career in Kansas City, where now-three-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Andy Reid is known for his offensive acumen and creativity.
Nevertheless, Hill's comments Friday indicate the 31-year-old's commitment to recentering himself and his work ethic after his "I'm out" comments at the end of last season.
In the immediate aftermath of the Dolphins missing the playoffs and losing their 2024 regular-season finale to the New York Jets, a frustrated Hill hinted that his time in Miami was coming to end. The Dolphins traded for him in 2022 and then gave him a record-breaking $120 million contract.
Although Hill piled up more than 1,700 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons with the team, he failed to reach the 1,000-yard mark for only the third time in his career last year.
To start this year's training camp, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made it clear that — even though Hill walked back what he said and then apologized — the speedy wideout's comments this past January still had consequences.
'When you say something like that, you don't just come back with, 'My bad.' You gotta work that relationship up," Tagovailoa said last month. "He is working on himself."
Hill called his quarterback's remarks "needed."
"He's obviously the leader of our team," Hill said Friday. "He sets the standard. So I'm just trying to be the best teammate, the best version of myself for this team I can be, man. Every day. Showing up for meetings, coming out here every day busting my tail in practice, I think it's important.
"If you want to be able to leave a legacy, you got to be able to consistently do those kind of things."
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