Dec. 18 (UPI) — Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill avoided “a risky proposition” of aggravating an ankle injury by sitting out Week 15, his agent said. But Hill also was knocked off his record-setting pace for receiving yardage.
Agent Drew Rosenhaus made the comments during an appearance Sunday night on WSVN-TV in Miami. The Dolphins had just beaten the New York Jets 30-0 in Miami Gardens, Fla.
“You just don’t know what would have happened if he tried to play,” Rosenhaus said. “It was a really risky proposition.
“It definitely felt like Tyreek and the team made the best decision by not playing. In hindsight, it looked like a great decision because the team won and they won handily and Tyreek was relieved. He was happy the team won.”
Hill sustained the right ankle injury in the first quarter of the Dolphins’ loss to the Tennessee Titans on Dec. 11. The NFL MVP candidate did not practice last week, but was listed as questionable.
Hill ran routes and tested the ankle during his pregame workout Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium, but opted to sit out.
Hill, who totaled 1,532 yards and 12 scores on 97 catches through his first 13 games, remains the NFL’s receiving yardage leader this season. He entered Sunday on pace to total more than 2,000 receiving yards, which would break Calvin Johnson’s single-season record of 1,964 from 2012.
If Hill is active for the Dolphins’ final three games and produces his season average of 118.6 yards per game, he would total 1,897 yards, the third-most in a season in NFL history.
He now needs to average 152.6 yards per game over the Dolphins’ final three contests to hit the 2,000-yard mark. And he needs to average 141 yards per game to break Johnson’s record.
Hill totaled five games this season with at least 150 receiving yards. He logged four such games in 2022, two in 2021, one in 2020, one in 2019, two in 2018 and one in 2017.
If Hill sits out again in Week 16, he would need to average 229 yards per game over the Dolphins’ final two regular-season games to hit 2,000 this season. He would need to average 211.5 yards per game over the final two weeks to break Johnson’s record.
Hill totaled three games with at least 200 receiving yards through his first eight seasons in the league. He totaled a career-high 269 yards in a 2020 Kansas City Chiefs win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Dolphins (10-4) will host the Dallas Cowboys (10-4) in Week 16. They will face the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17 in Baltimore and host the Buffalo Bills in Week 18 at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Cowboys have the No. 4 pass defense in the NFL. They allowed just two 100-yard performances to wide receivers so far this season — 100 from Curtis Samuel in Week 12 and 134 from DK Metcalf in Week 13.
The Ravens allowed the seventh-fewest passing yards so far this season. They’ve allowed three 100-yard performances — 115 from Cooper Kupp in Week 14, 106 from Keenan Allen in Week 12 and 102 from Amon-Ra St. Brown in Week 7.
The Bills pass defense also ranks inside the Top 10, allowing the ninth-fewest passing yards through 15 weeks. They’ve allowed three 100-yard performances — 106 from Devonta Smith in Week 12, 110 from Tee Higgins in Week 9 and 122 from Calvin Ridley in Week 5.
Hill totaled a season-low three catches for 58 yards in Week 4 against the Bills. He totaled 11 catches for 102 yards and a score in two games against the Bills in 2022.
Proud of this team— Ty Hill (@cheetah) December 17, 2023
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Hill “was pretty close” to playing in Week 15. He will be evaluated this week to determine his status for Sunday.
Rosenhaus said Hill underwent MRIs and he spoke with several doctors leading up to the Jets game. He also hinted that the pass catcher could return soon.
“Missing the game [against the Jets] may allow Tyreek to be available later in the year against perhaps better teams or playoff teams,” Rosenhaus said.
The Dolphins-Cowboys game is set for 4:25 p.m. EST Sunday in Miami Gardens.
