Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa participated in practice on Wednesday, and it seems like he’s on track to return this weekend against the Arizona Cardinals.
As soon as Tagovailoa returns to game action for the Dolphins, wide receiver Tyreek Hill should become a major weapon again following a very rocky stretch. He seems to know it.
Hill hasn’t looked like himself very often this season. With Tagovailoa healthy in Week 1, Hill had a big performance, catching seven passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, but otherwise, the star receiver has been held in check. His rough stretch started in Week 2, the same game that Tagovailoa left with a concussion in the third quarter.
Hill’s last five games have looked like this:
- Week 2: three catches for 24 yards
- Week 3: three catches for 40 yards
- Week 4: four catches for 23 yards
- Week 5: six catches for 69 yards
- Week 6: bye week
- Week 7: one catch for eight yards
His Week 5 performance was his best game during the stretch in question. While there’s nothing wrong with a 69-yard receiving performance, even that type of showing isn’t what Dolphins fans have come to expect from Hill, who averaged 112.4 receiving yards per game last season.
He also hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 1. That’s bound to change soon, and when it does, the Dolphins and fantasy owners will all rejoice.
When Tagovailoa was able to stay on the field for all 17 games in the 2023 regular season, Hill was unstoppable. Despite missing a game himself, he still managed to lead the league in receiving yards (1,799) and receiving touchdowns (13).
If Tagovailoa can return and unleash that version of Hill, the Dolphins could become a problem again in the playoff conversation. Right now, they’re 2-4 and can’t afford many more losses as they try to keep their playoff hopes alive.
From a fantasy perspective, folks who picked Hill early in their drafts this season have likely been disappointed so far, but there’s still time for him to prove that he was the right choice, especially if he flips a switch when the fantasy season reaches the playoff stage.
