Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill told us in July that he wanted to be the first NFL receiver with more than 2,000 yards. So he can’t understand why people seem surprised he’s on pace to do it.
Hill caught eight passes for 112 yards and a touchdown last Sunday in Miami’s 31-17 win over New England. That gave him 1,014 yards receiving, putting him on pace for 2,155 yards.
Hill is the first receiver to gain more than 1,000 yards receiving in eight games. St. Louis Rams’ Torry Holt had the previous record for most yards through eight games with 978.
When Calvin Johnson set the single-season receiving yardage record with 1,974 yards in 2012, he had 767 yards after eight games. Hill has already had games of 215, 181, 163, and 157 yards this season.
“I’ve been calling my shot since I came in this league,” Hill told reporters. “A lot of people doubted me, saying I couldn’t do this and do that, but it’s all about believing in yourself.”
Hill, much like he was during the six seasons he played in Kansas City, is the perfect weapon in the ideal system.
- Tyreek Hill career stats: 659 receptions, 9,354 receiving yards, 71 touchdowns
Miami coach Mike McDaniel’s offensive system, with its misdirection running game, forces teams to respect the Dolphins’ running attack, and his use of motion makes it hard to be physical with Hill at the line of scrimmage.
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And if you give a player like Hill, arguably the league’s fastest receiver, a free release, it eventually leads to trouble from defenses.
Tyreek Hill by the numbers
Hill, who has 61 receptions and eight touchdowns, is averaging 16.6 yards per catch. He leads the NFL with seven receptions of 40 yards or more, and he’s tied for second with 16 receptions of 20 yards or more.
Against New England, he split a double team to score a 42-yard touchdown. He’s also scored on touchdown receptions of 69, 54, 41, 35 and 27 yards. It’s also his fourth consecutive game with a touchdown catch of 25 yards more.
Now, he gets to play his first game against Kansas City since the Chiefs traded him to Miami before the 2022 season. Kansas City traded Hill because they couldn’t agree on a contract.
Miami sent five draft picks for Hill: a first-round pick (No. 29), a second-round pick (No. 50) and a fourth-round pick in 2022, and a fourth-round and sixth-round pick in 2023. Then, the Dolphins signed Hill to a four-year, $120-million contract.
Kansas City and Miami, each with 6-2 records, will play Sunday in Frankfort, Germany.
“I’m ready, man. It’s just another game. I’m just excited to play against my old brothers,” Hill told reporters. “It’s just like if you’re in high school and you move to a different city, it’s still ball.
“At the end of the day, my job is to go out there and do what I’ve been doing all year, and that’s having fun, helping lead this team, and creating opportunities for whoever. I’m still going to be the same old Cheetah, baby.”
Jean-Jacques Taylor is the NFL Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter. He’s the author of Coach Prime: Deion Sanders and the Making of Men.