It's a bittersweet night in Miami, where amid reports of the Dolphins' internal problems and fans flying banners over Hard Rock Stadium calling for the firings of general manager Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins finally earned their first win over the season. They also suffered a major loss as wide receiver Tyreek Hill went down with a horrible knee injury.
Hill suffered the injury early in the third quarter after catching a pass and getting tackled out of bounds. He was carted off the field, and McDaniel said after the game that Hill suffered a dislocated knee. Hill was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and will stay there overnight.
"He was probably in the best spirits of any player," McDaniel told reporters. "It's such a terrible experience when you go out and see guys when they have issues like that, but he immediately had wide eyes and was talking, 'I'm good, just make sure the guys get this win.' He was focused on the team."
That positivity and the smiles from Hill in the face of such a serious injury was inspiring to his coach and teammates.
"We've talked about all the stuff Tyreek has done this offseason, and a big portion is leading by example and connecting with his teammates. He kind of utilized that connectivity to make sure that his team was finishing on the right end. He was inspiring in that situation and I think his teammates benefitted from that," McDaniel said.
“It’s mixed emotions having one of our captains, leader, and a player that just means so much to the team. Prayers to him. It's tough. It's just sad anytime you someone go down. A guy of that stature. What he means to the team. What he means to the game of football. His legacy," Waddle said.
Jaylen Waddle on one of his closest friends, Tyreek Hill: “It’s just sad. A guy of that stature. What he means to the team. What he means to the game of football. His legacy.”
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) September 30, 2025
Waddle confirmed Tyreek told him jokes on cart but mainly said to finish the game strong, win for him. pic.twitter.com/LQfS9TswMg
"I'm praying for him," running back De'Von Achane said. "When I went over there and I seen him though, he was still happy, like Tua said. He was smiling, still making jokes. I was like, 'Bro, you just got hurt.'”
De’Von Achane’s reaction to Tyreek Hill’s injury. pic.twitter.com/SAB5Mm5JYx
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) September 30, 2025
"My thoughts and prayers are with Reek," Tua Tagovailoa said after the game.
Tight end Darren Waller added, "There's no replacing him, but I feel like we got guys that can get the job done."
"When you see something like that happen to a guy, it's definitely unfortunate," safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said. "We're going to be praying for him and we're going to be supporting him as best as we can. Hopefully not super severe and he'll be able to come back."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mike McDaniel Reveals Inspiring Message From Tyreek Hill After Suffering Brutal Injury .
