Kelly: Why are the Dolphins waiting to do an extension for Tyreek Hill?

Tyreek Hill wants a new contract from the Miami Dolphins, but the five-time All-Pro receiver doesn’t intend on strong-arming the organization the way he bullies NFL defensive backs.

Hill, who became the first NFL receiver in league history to produce back-to-back 1,700-yard receiving seasons (2022 and 2023), labeled talks about a contract extension as “positive,” based on a conversation he had with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who attended practice on Thursday.

As long as they remain that way the five-time All-Pro receiver doesn’t intend to engage in a hold out, or hold-in, like the one Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb and Cincinnati’s JaMarr Chase are holding as both Pro Bowl receiver lobbies, or strong arms to push Justin Jefferson for the distinction as the NFL’s highest paid receiver.

Jefferson is averaging $31.9 million a season on the five-year, $159 million deal he signed this summer with the Minnesota Vikings.

“You see me out here practicing each and every day. At this point my focus is on helping this team win games each and every day. I know it’s going to come, whenever it happens,” said Hill, who has instructed Rosenhaus to not have him traded like the last time Hill and his camp pushed for a new deal.

That’s how the eight-time Pro Bowler ended up in Miami for five draft picks, which were highlighted by a first and second round pick, when Kansas City refused to give him an extension that guaranteed Hill $72.2 million, and averaged $30 million a season.

However, that average is part of the problem because it includes a $45 million salary in 2026 that the Dolphins included into the contract to artificially inflate his per season average, boosting it from $24 million a year to $30 million. However, considering only quarterbacks make that type of money, there’s little change Miami honors the 2026 season in his deal.

This is the last year of Hill’s contract which is guaranteed, and his goal is to keep pace with the new financial landscape at his position, which including a number of NFL receivers, like his teammate Jaylen Waddle, getting new deals that boost up the average of the top 10 salaries, which has a floor of $21 million a season.

Hill is slated to make just under $20 million this season in base salary and per game bonus.

“My agent is doing his thing. I just had a conversation with [Drew],” said Hill, who caught 119 passes in the 16 games he played last season, and turned them into 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns. “Conversations are positive and we’re going to keep it positive. For right now, I’m going to keep practicing everyday and help this team win games.”

Let’s assume Hill and his camp’s goal is to turn the $45 million in fake money in his contract into real money, preferably guaranteed money, and to extend the contract past the 2025 season, which isn’t guaranteed.

Extending Hill’s deal would create additional cap space for the Dolphins, which presently have $22.8 million in cap space to work with following the five-year extension Tua Tagovailoa received last week.

There’s no harm in the Dolphins guaranteeing Hill’s salary for the next two seasons, guaranteeing him $60 million, which would put him in Jefferson’s salary neighborhood at $30 million a year, time a legit average not trumped up by a fake figure at the end of the deal.

Locking up one of the NFL top 10 rated players in the NFL Network’s player ratings for another two, maybe three seasons makes too much sense because Tagovailoa’s new deal gives Miami a three-year window to win a Super Bowl.

That window would likely get boarded up if Hill, who turned 30 this year, had a drastic decline in productivity, or he and Dolphins decide the marriage has run it’s course.

Hill has already said publicly he is not asking to regain his standing as the NFL’s highest paid receiver, and knows his next deal will impact the team’s ability to build a good team around him and Tagovailoa. A restructured deal would create cap space - possibly $14 million - to help Miami build a solid foundation around Tagovailoa, Hill and Waddle.

So exactly what’s the hold up?

The Dolphins would be wise to do an extension now before Chase and Lamb push the receiver price even higher because waiting to do it next season might make Hill change his turn about retiring as a Dolphin.

This is Miami’s chance to do this extension the easy way before it becomes a shakedown.