WR Hill blasts Waddle trade rumor
Miami Dolphins star receiver Tyreek Hill blasted the notion of a suggested trade by an ESPN analyst that the team should consider moving fellow standout receiver Jaylen Waddle.
“I’m all the way in Greece right now and I get on Twitter to see people talking crazy about dolphin football,” Hill wrote Wednesday on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
“My boy Waddle is the future,” Hill continued. “He is better than I was at this point in his career and for people in this fan base to want to trade him is ludicrous.”
Hill added: “Him and Tua was special before me and will be special after I leave.”
Hill was responding to reaction stemming from comments made on ESPN by former Jets general manager and Dolphins vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum, who was offering his thoughts on hypothetical offseason trades that he thought would make sense. He suggested that the Dolphins could trade Waddle to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for standout cornerback Trent McDuffie.
Tannenbaum’s logic was based on the notion that the deal could be beneficial for both teams, as the Dolphins would need a top cornerback if they move on from veteran Xavien Howard, while the Chiefs could certainly use another playmaker for Patrick Mahomes.
However, there has been no indication that the Dolphins are looking to trade Waddle, who was a first-round draft pick out of Alabama in 2021.
Waddle, 25, is entering the final year of his rookie contract, but the Dolphins can retain him for an additional season with a fifthyear option. The Dolphins also could offer him a long-term extension after coming off another stellar season. He had 1,014 yards despite missing three games this season, becoming the first player in Dolphins history to record three straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
If the Dolphins keep Howard on the roster for next season, he will count as a $25.9 million salary-cap hit.
Howard, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, and All Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey — when healthy — form one of the NFL’s best cornerback duos at one of football’s most important positions.
The 30-year-old Howard (he’ll be 31 on July 4), who led the league in interceptions in 2018 and 2020, could be a June 1 cut by Miami. If the Dolphins release Howard as a June 1 cut, he will cost $7.4 million in dead money in 2024, but saves $18.5 million.
When asked about returning next season, Howard acknowledged last month that he may have played his final down with the Dolphins.
“It’s up in the air,” he said. “At the end of the day it’s a business also. My eight years here, I made the best of it. If this year is the last year, and I have to say goodbye to some of the guys here, I definitely understand. It’s a part of the business. And no matter where I go, I’m still going to do my thing.”