What Tyreek Hill really thought of critical Tua Tagovailoa comments

Tyreek Hill knows he can do better.

Speaking to reporters Friday at Dolphins training camp, Miami’s star receiver said he appreciated the bold comments made by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa about taking responsibility for one’s actions in the wake of Hill’s controversial “I’m out” remarks at the end of last season.

“I think Tua’s comments were needed,” Hill said, as covered by ProFootballTalk. “He’s obviously the leader of our team so he sets the standard, so I’m just trying to be the best teammate, best version of myself I can be. Showing up to meetings, coming out here every day and busting my tail in practice, I think it’s important. If you want to be able to leave a legacy, you’ve got to be able to consistently do those things.”

Hill, 31, stirred buzz following the Dolphins’ season-finale loss to the Jets by suggesting he wanted out of South Florida. Although he walked back on those remarks, Tagovailoa said last month there are bridges to be rebuilt.

“When you say something like that, you don’t just come back from that with a, ‘Hey, my bad,’” Tagovailoa, 27, said at the outset of training camp.

The quarterback, now entering his sixth season with the Dolphins, added, “it’s still a work in progress.”

“Like I said, he’s working on himself, he’s working on the things he says he wants to get better with and do better on, so, that’s the first step to me and so, I commend him for doing that,” Tagovailoa said.

Hill has been at the center of trade buzz and controversy this offseason, as he was embroiled in a domestic dispute with his estranged wife, Keeta Hill.

The wideout, who is gearing up for his fourth season in Miami after being traded by the Chiefs in 2022, wants to be an uplifting source for his teammates.

“I think it’s very important because football is a team sport,” Hill said. “It is important.”

Hill and the Dolphins are looking to rebound after a disappointing 2024 campaign.

The Dolphins previously led the AFC in yards per play (6.4 ypp, second best in the NFL) in 2023 but fell off a cliff last year, to 5.1 yards and 22nd in the NFL.