Tyreek Hill's 2025 season ended weeks ago when he suffered a dislocated knee in late September.
His career could be nearing an end, too.
In an interview with former Dolphins teammate (and burgeoning podcaster) Terron Armstead, the 31-year-old receiver said he hasn't yet decided on his future but also would be content if he walked away from football soon.
"At the end of the day, I feel like that decision is based upon how I feel and where my mindset is at the moment," Hill said on Armstead's "The Set" podcast. "I'm happy with the career that I've had. I love playing football. I love it, but it takes a lot. It takes a lot on you mentally, it takes a lot on you physically.
"I'm at the point now where I need to have a conversation with mom, family, everybody. Wherever my mind is at the time, the decision will be made, but I know right now, I haven't had time to live in the moment."
Hill's remarks are the latest in a string of comments that have suggested he's matured over the last year. Hill began the 2025 season by pledging a renewed commitment to football and family, aiming to create "the best version" of himself in his 10th NFL season.
That pursuit ended when an awkward tackle on the sideline resulted in a gruesome knee injury in a Week 4 Dolphins win over the Jets.
It's the moment every athlete hopes they'll never have to experience. For Hill, it produced a surprising sense of peace.
"When I got tackled, I immediately tried to get up ... I'd seen that my leg was crooked," Hill said. "I immediately started laughing because I've been able to play this game for 10 years, really my entire life, and I've been blessed with great talents and great gifts. The amount of support I get from my family, it's amazing. So I really wasn't even thinking about the injury. I was thinking about the great times I've had playing this game."
While it's comforting to hear Hill instantly felt gratitude for the decade he's spent in the NFL terrorizing defenses to the delight of his own fanbases, it's also a bittersweet realization not afforded to every pro football player. For many, the end of their career arrives abruptly; few are given the opportunity to go out on their own terms unless they walk away relatively prematurely.
Hill is caught somewhere in between the two. A five-time All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowler, Hill boasts six 1,000-yard receiving seasons on a resume that also includes a Super Bowl triumph (Super Bowl LIV) and a place on the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Decade team for the 2010s. When folks consider the rise of the Kansas City Chiefs and their run of success over the last seven years, Hill owns an indelible place in their tale.
But Father Time comes for everyone, and it seems as though Hill understands this unfortunate fact of life.
Hill isn't the first veteran to be emotionally worn down by a combination of team struggles and serious injury. He likely understands the long road ahead of him and the possibility he might never be the same rare talent known for torching the opposition. An arduous journey back to the field likely isn't overly attractive, either, when considering the uncertain outlook facing the 1-6 Dolphins.
Fortunately, Hill has time to mull his options.
"I just want to be in this moment with my family," he said. "I don't want to make any rash decisions."
It seems outrageous that a player of Hill's caliber would walk away after one injury-shortened season, but he certainly wouldn't be the first to shock the world by abruptly retiring. If anything, Hill's comments suggest he knows he can't play the game forever, a realization that can be freeing for some.
We'll see if he believes his time is up, or if he gives it another go in 2026.
