The already tenuous relationship between Tyreek Hill and the Dolphins has a new, bizarre chapter.
The star wide receiver told reporters Friday that De’Von Achane shouldn’t be Miami’s short-yardage running back, only for head coach Mike McDaniel to say Sunday that the change had already taken place.
“Take De‘Von [Achane] out on third down — what?” Hill said after he was asked about the team’s short-yardage issues last season. “That’s my honest opinion. If it’s third-and-short, he’s not a power back. I keep telling him that in the locker room, but he swears he’s a power back. I love De’Von, but if I’m being honest like that’s why you got Jaylen Wright, that’s why you got Ollie Gordon II, for those kind of situations.”
When McDaniel responded Sunday, he seemed amused and annoyed at his receiver’s comments.
“I thought it was genius reporting by Tyreek, seeing how we had a short-yardage period that very day that you guys were in attendance for, and his suggestion was I guess congruent with [running backs coach Eric] Studesville — that’s exactly how we repped the backs in that short-yardage period that very day,” McDaniel said. “But we thought it was funny that he reported the news that wasn’t news on that practice day in that short-yardage period that you guys were all there, too, for.”
The odd back-and-forth comes after Hill said he was “opening the door” to leaving Miami at the end of last season, although the eight-time Pro Bowler then walked it back and publicly apologized during Super Bowl week in February.
Hill was also reportedly late to the Dolphins’ team stretch Sunday after emphasizing the importance of being on time to the start of stretch on Friday.
Hill, 31, is entering his 10th season in the NFL.
He’s coming off a down year with 81 receptions for 959 yards and six touchdowns, but is just two seasons removed from his torrid 2023 campaign, in which he led the league in receiving yards (1,799), touchdowns (13) and yards per game (112.4).