A major fish was added to the free agency pond, and the Atlanta Falcons could have some interest in bringing him to Flowery Branch this offseason. The Miami Dolphins released five-time All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill on Monday afternoon as he recovers from a leg injury that cost him the second half of his 2025 season.
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, it is not entirely clear if Hill will be able to play in 2026 after dislocating his knee and tearing some ligaments last September. With the Dolphins set to enter a new era this season with a revamped front office and coaching staff, Hill’s large contract became more expendable.
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He signed a $90 million restructured deal with the team last offseason with a cap hit of $52 million in his final year. Hill’s $29.9 million in non-guaranteed base salary would turn into a minimum of $16 million in guarantees if he were still on the roster by the third day of the league year.
After this move, several teams will be doing their due diligence on the veteran wide receiver before free agency officially opens in about a month. Should the Falcons pursue him?
DON’T: There are doubts that he will be ready to play.
A devastating knee injury cut his 2025 season short after he tore multiple ligaments in his dislocated knee. It was all repaired in one procedure in an effort to get him onto the field as quickly as possible.
It is unclear if he will achieve that goal, but he will certainly miss the entire offseason program. He was reportedly walking without a brace, according to an interview with People Magazine, and there have been no public talks of retirement.
DO: The Falcons need a player with the attributes of Tyreek Hill.
Hill’s speed and playmaking ability would fit in any system, but it is explicitly something that the Falcons sorely lacked in 2025. They expected to get that downfield production from Darnell Mooney, who is a cut candidate this offseason in his own right, but it did not come. Mooney struggled with injuries and various setbacks that hampered him all season.
No matter what happens with Mooney, Atlanta will be in dire need of wide receiver depth. They leaned on too many inexperienced players, and it showed when Drake London went down with an injury.
Overall, the lack of depth hampered their overall production, and it will be a critical need for them this offseason. Why not go get the best option on the market?
DON’T: Even if Hill does play, his best years are behind him.
Hill will be 32 by the time the 2026 season kicks off, and that is assuming he would be a full-go by Week 1. Most wide receivers start to see a general decline by the time they hit 30, and that is especially true for a player who leans on explosiveness as Hill does.
Before his injury in September, Hill was on pace for 1,126 yards, 89 receptions, and four touchdowns, but it was one season removed from his worst season since an injury-shortened year in 2019. These were a far cry from the outstanding years of his early seasons in Miami.
DO: He could be picked up on an affordable contract.
The move by the Dolphins was a clear cost-cutting one as they enter a new era. This was one of several moves made by the franchise on Monday that opened up $70 million in cap space.
Hill should still be able to provide an impact for his next team, and he could do that for a sum far less than what he was making in Miami ($30 million annually).
