Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa shared the rationale behind comments he made about his relationship with wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa Preaches Accountability with Tyreek Hill Relationship Comments originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
A strong statement wide receiver Tyreek Hill made after the final game of the 2024 regular season ruffled some feathers in the Miami Dolphins' locker room. And the fallout stemming from Hill's actions has spilled into the following year.
After the Dolphins' 32-20 loss to the New York Jets on Jan. 5, Hill said, "I'm out, bro," when discussing whether he would remain with the team for the 2025 campaign. The comment came in the heat of the moment, as Hill was frustrated about missing the postseason for the first time in his NFL career.
But those three words have proven to have far-reaching implications. Tagovailoa told reporters on Wednesday that his relationship with Hill remains "a work in progress" and that reconciliation requires more than Hill simply saying something along the lines of, "My bad."
In a separate interview with NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe and Bucky Brooks following the Dolphins' practice on Saturday, Tagovailoa set the record straight on what he said about how far Hill has come in regaining the trust of his teammates.
"I don't feel it's me talking bad about my teammate. I'm just trying to hold him accountable because that's what we're trying to do with everybody on our team," Tagovailoa said. "If this is what we say the standard is, then that's what the standard is. And nobody's exempt from it."
Tagovailoa and Hill have developed into one of the league's most dynamic duos since the latter joined the Dolphins organization in 2022. With both players healthy and playing at their best, they possess the ability to wreak havoc on any opposing defense. But with the Dolphins's season opener just six weeks away, it's clear that more needs to be done for the connection between Tagovailoa and Hill to return to where it was last season.
The veteran quarterback, though, expressed optimism that Hill will soon find his way.
"Reek is going through his own phase of who he wants to become as a man in this league, who he wants to become as a father for his kids," Tagovailoa said. "It's never too late for anyone to want to change. Regardless of what that looks like for them, that's their stepping stone, that's their journey, and that's what it is."
Related: Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa Makes Strong Statement on Tyreek Hill's 'I'm Out' Comment
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Football
