Quarterback is the most important position in all of sports. As a result, quarterbacks get a ton of credit, money, and endorsements. It’s all well deserved. However, no NFL player has been more impactful this season than wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
The Miami Dolphins, as an offense and a team, are not the same without him. We saw it on Monday night. If Hill doesn’t suffer an ankle injury quarter, it’s likely a different outcome. Instead, Tua Tagovailoa couldn’t bail out Miami after it blew a 14-point lead in the final three minutes to fall 28-27 to the Tennessee Titans. It was an unbelievable loss. It also highlighted why Hill is a worthy NFL MVP candidate.
There’s a clear QB bias. The award has gone to quarterbacks 10 years in a row. The last non-passer to get the award was Adrian Peterson, who needed to put up a 2,097-yard rushing season and average an absurd 6.0 yards per carry in 2012 for the Minnesota Vikings.
Hill is also enjoying an absurd season. He’s threatening to become the first player in NFL history to post a 2,000-yard receiving season. The record is Calvin Johnson, who amassed 1,964 yards for the Detroit Lions in 2012. “Megatron” finished fourth that year in MVP voting behind Peterson, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady. The last receiver to have a shot at 2,000 was Cooper Kupp (1,947 yards in 2021). He finished third in the MVP race behind winner Aaron Rodgers, and Brady. Plus, Kupp needed every bit of the recently implemented 17-game schedule to get close.
Entering the week, it seemed possible that Hill (97 catches, 1,542 yards, 12 touchdowns) could reach 2,000 yards in 16 games. The ankle injury puts that idea in doubt. Regardless, Hill’s candidacy is about as legitimate as we’ve ever seen from a wide receiver. Does he have a shot? Not according to the betting odds, where the top favorites are quarterbacks Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy, and Lamar Jackson.
Toe drag swag 😎#ProBowlVote + @cheetah pic.twitter.com/TY6oJaO4sl
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 12, 2023
Bear in mind there had been no clear-cut QB frontrunner for this award until recently. A month ago, it seemed inconceivable that Prescott could become the first Dallas Cowboys quarterback to win this award. Also, some people still have doubts about Purdy because of the quarterback-friendly Kyle Shanahan offense and the San Francisco 49ers’ skill position talent.
Hill has been a consistent performer since the Dolphins acquired him in that stunning trade in March 2022. With Tagovailoa healthy, Hill is routinely torching defenses, who seem powerless to stop him. Since October, Hill has only had one bad game, which interestingly enough came against his former team (8 catches, 62 yards, and a costly fumble in a 21-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs).
For a long time, wide receivers were undervalued. That is until Hill’s record-breaking contract. He became the first non-quarterback to have an annual salary average of $30 million per season. So far, he’s been worth every penny. Who could have guessed that Hill’s two most productive seasons would come after leaving Patrick Mahomes? Kansas City won the Super Bowl last season and gained badly needed future cap flexibility. However, when you look at the Chiefs’ receivers now, Mahomes has to be missing the Cheetah.
🎥 Tyreek Hill vs. Washington Commanders:
➖ 5 receptions
➖ 157 receiving yards
➖ 2 receiving touchdowns #FinsUp pic.twitter.com/ut1qkQb4zb— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) December 4, 2023
Hill’s explosiveness affects everything that Mike McDaniel’s offense does. His presence forces defenses to play back, making running the football easier. The Dolphins have the second-best rushing attack in the league (144.5 yards per game). Hill also dictates coverages since he’s double-teamed so often. Jaylen Waddle (63 catches, 822 yards, 3 touchdowns) sees a lot less attention than he would if he were the No. 1 wideout.
An MVP makes everyone around him better. It took Hill leaving Kansas City for everyone to appreciate his greatness. Hopefully, he gets healthy enough to make a run at the award.
