The Dolphins' 27–21 win over the Jets on Monday Night Football was soured by the awful knee injury to star receiver Tyreek Hill at the beginning of the second half.
It was a scary moment, one of those injuries that immediately makes you squirm, and ended Hill's season with a dislocated knee and multiple torn ligaments. He underwent successful surgery Tuesday and Hill's agent Drew Rosenhaus said the goal is for him to return at the start of the 2026 season.
When Hill was carted off the field Monday night, his reaction took some viewers by surprise as he clapped and acknowledged the fans while keeping a smile on his face. Check out the moment below:
Tyreek Hill acknowledged the fans while being carted off with an apparent left leg injury. pic.twitter.com/JqU3yDuwIt
— ESPN (@espn) September 30, 2025
The upbeat response caused confusion, but NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe shared some background of the moment on The Insiders.
"It's hard for us to understand that but I talked with a few teammates via text and one made a good point," Wolfe said. "Tyreek is such an energy giver that he felt like Tyreek was trying to give the team energy, try to give them fuel to hide his pain, to hide his shock.
"And he made a comment that he hopes that Tyreek has somebody to give him energy through these rehab periods, these long, lonely months. Because that's what he needs, that's what he thrives for."
Insight and stories I’ve gathered over last 24 hours from #Dolphins players about Tyreek Hill serious knee dislocation.
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) September 30, 2025
One: powerful message on ‘why’ behind Tyreek’s positive post-injury reaction & what he hopes Tyreek receives in lengthy rehab.
For @nflnetwork The Insiders: pic.twitter.com/a93TZmRCH9
Hill himself sent a cheerful message to fans from the hospital before he went in for surgery where he shared his thankfulness for all the prayers and support. He has a long road of recovery in front of him, but the positive reaction to the gruesome injury seemed to be nothing but smiling through the pain to lift up his team.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tyreek Hill Injury: Dolphins Star Receiver's Surprisingly Positive Reaction Explained.
