Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill's still working on relationship after wideout's ‘I'm out' comment
It produced a myriad of reactions — most of which tended to scold Hill — from pundits and fans alike. What was more so unclear, however, was how the star receiver's purported trade request affected the team as a whole. And while Hill has since recanted his statement — in addition to even publicly apologizing to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — it appears that the duo's relationship still needs work.
'We're still continuing' to rebuild it, Tagovailoa said Wednesday morning. 'But it's not just with me — it's with a lot of the guys. I'm not the only one who heard that. You guys aren't the only people that heard that.'
Added Tagovailoa: 'When you say something like that, you don't just come back from that with 'Hey my bad.' You got to work that relationship up. You got to build everything up again. It's still a work in process.'
Following a disappointing 32-20 less to the New York Jets in the Dolphins' 2024 season finale, Hill didn't hold back his feelings.
'There are a lot of things I need to reassess about my career,' Hill said Jan. 5. 'Just see what I need to do to continue to get better as a player so I can continue to reach that 1,000-yard mark. It [stinks] missing QB 1 [Tagovailoa].... I've got to do what's best for me and my family, whether that's here or wherever the case may be. I'm opening the door. I'm out, bro.
'It was great playing here, but at the end of the day, I've got to do what's best for my career. I'm too much of a competitor to be just out there.'
Granted, Hill played a full 17-game season with a fractured wrist and had just missed the playoffs for the first time in his career. Tagovailoa, conversely, had missed a total of six games, four due to a concussion and a final two with a hip injury. It was also arguably the worst season of Hill's career since his rookie year in 2016.
Hill was admittedly frustrated to say the least.
'It was tough,' Hill said of the incident in late May, adding that he's gone to therapy to help gain a better control of his mental health. 'Obviously, emotions were high then, but at the end of the day I'm just looking to move forward from that.'
The eight-time Pro Bowler further explained himself during the first day of training camp.
'I know how to lose but in those moments, I need to be better as a leader and I realized that throughout this whole entire offseason,' Hill said Tuesday, praising the fans and Miami community as a whole for embracing him. 'I feel like I really haven't been giving the best version of Tyreek my whole entire career.'
The offseason seemingly gave Hill a bit of perspective. Not only did the nine-year veteran go on an apology tour during Super Bowl week, he made a point to go above and beyond in his training . Hill also had surgery in an effort to be ready in time for training camp.
'As a leader of this team and also a leader of this community, I just need to be better in that sense and just know that there's a ton of little kids who look up to me as a player and as a role model,' Hill said Tuesday, adding that he 'matured a lot.' 'I just got to remind myself of that.'
Even Tagovailoa has noticed the changes, praising his star wideout for the introspection.
'He's working on himself,' Tagovailoa said, explaining that he has shown 'a lot more vulnerability,' something that the franchise quarterback believed to be 'the first step to him building true relationships.' 'He's working on the things that he says he wants to get better with and be better on. So that's the first step to me and so I commend him for doing that.'
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