Marcel Louis-Jacques
Multiple Authors
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Miami Dolphins released Tyreek Hill in a flurry of roster moves Monday that will clear significant salary cap space.
Former Pro Bowl linebacker Bradley Chubb was also informed of his impending release Monday, per multiple sources, although it was not conveyed whether the transaction will take place immediately or will take place after the start of the league year on March 11 and be designated as a post-June 1 transaction.
Miami also released offensive lineman James Daniels and wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on Monday.
Hill dislocated a knee and tore an ACL in Week 4 and missed the remainder of the 2025 season. He turns 32 in March and is now a free agent for the first time in his 10-year career.
In a post on Instagram, Hill thanked the Dolphins, his teammates and the team’s fans. He also vowed that his career will continue.
“Miami, you have became my home. But, the journey doesn’t stop here… Every chapter in life has taught me something. This one taught me leadership, resilience, and mostly gratitude. The love I have for this game is unexplainable. And right now, this off season, for the first time ever, The Cheetah is all the way turned up and locked in. Focused.
“The Cheetah don’t slow down. Ever. So to everyone wondering what’s next… just wait on it. The Cheetah will be back…Born Again,” he wrote.
These moves reflect the Dolphins’ new direction under first-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and will save the team roughly $23 million in 2026. That number increases to $30 million if Chubb’s release is immediate.
Miami traded a first-round pick, second-round pick, two fourth-round picks and a sixth-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 to bring Hill to South Florida, and the Dolphins signed him to a four-year, $120 million extension. He instantly became the most productive receiver in the NFL, posting consecutive 1,700-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023. That production tapered off in 2024, when he recorded 81 catches for 959 yards and six touchdowns.
His four seasons in Miami were also mired by off-field issues, including multiple lawsuits and an incident in 2024 when he was dragged out of his vehicle by Miami-Dade police officers outside Hard Rock Stadium just hours before the Dolphins’ regular-season opener.
Months after trading for Hill, the Dolphins sent a first-round pick to the Denver Broncos in exchange for Chubb and signed him to a five-year, $110 million extension. He posted his second-career double-digit-sack season with 11 in 2023 but suffered a significant injury in his right knee in Week 17, which included a torn ACL, meniscus and patellar tendon.
Chubb missed the entire 2024 season but returned with a team-high 8.5 sacks in 2025, playing all 17 games. He was a team captain and won the local media’s “Good Guy” award for his consistent availability and professionalism with the press.
Although his 10.5% pressure rate in 2025 was the third highest of his career, he was double-teamed on a career-high 23.1% of his pass rushes, which contributed to his career-low 7.8% pass rush win rate last season. He also represented a $31 million cap hit in 2026, turns 30 years old in June and has torn ACLs in both knees during his eight-year NFL career.
Daniels was the Dolphins’ biggest signing of the 2025 offseason when he received a three-year, $24 million deal. However, he suffered a pectoral injury just three snaps into the season opener and missed the remainder of the year.
Westbrook-Ikhine was also in his first season with Miami, signing a two-year, $5.99 million deal after scoring nine touchdowns for the Tennessee Titans in 2024. His production for the Dolphins was limited, however, as he caught just 11 passes for 89 yards.
While the Dolphins have now begun their rebuilding process, a decision has still not been made regarding quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who represents a $56 million cap hit in 2026 with $54 million in guaranteed salary.
The 2020 first-round pick was benched at the end of last season after throwing a career-high 15 interceptions in as many games. He signed a four-year, $212.1 million extension with Miami in 2024, marking the largest contract in franchise history. Sullivan has publicly stated multiple times that the Dolphins will look to add competition to their quarterbacks room but will prioritize team-building ahead of finding their next franchise quarterback.
