Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa says bond with Tyreek Hill has been repaired: ‘I think that conversation is dead now’

Tagovailoa and Hill spent the offseason working on their relationship

Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill have been repairing their relationship throughout the offseason. And just days before the Miami Dolphins open their season against the Indianapolis Colts, Tagovailoa said Wednesday he likes where things stand with his star receiver after months of working on their connection.

Tagovailoa was asked about the status of his relationship with Hill, who said he wanted out of Miami following the 2024 season. Tagovailoa said some of the talk about a rift between the two was a bit overblown, but he acknowledged the duo is in a much better place now.

“I would say it’s good,” Tagovailoa said. “I think, for what it was earlier in the summer, it was just that. I think people might have blown it out of proportion. Now I think we’ve worked on it. I think that conversation is dead now. Once people see Tyreek score on Sunday, everyone will forget about that. We’re in a good spot. We’ve been in a good spot for a while now. I’m really pleased with that and happy with that. I’m very pleased with how our guys are operating now in all rooms.”

Hill echoed that sentiment — and even took it a step further. The six-time All-Pro said this year’s Dolphins team is the tightest group he’s been part off since arriving in 2022.

“I feel like this is probably the closest team that I’ve been on since I’ve been in Miami,” Hill said via the Associated Press. “And as far as offensive chemistry, I feel like this is the best version of what I’ve seen the Miami Dolphins offense [look like].”

The 2024 season was a frustrating one for the Dolphins. Tagovailoa missed six games with injury, Hill’s production dipped severely and Miami missed the playoffs with an 8-9 record. In the immediate aftermath of all that, Hill simply said, “I’m out.”

As it turned out, Hill was not done with the Dolphins, and he had to repair some relationships in the locker room. Back in July, Tagovailoa admitted that Hill had some work to do in order to get back into the good graces of his teammates.

“When you say something like that, you don’t just come back from that with, ‘Hey, my bad,’” Tagovailoa said. “You’ve got to work that relationship up. You’ve got to build everything up again. It’s still a work in progress, not just for me but for everybody. But like I said, he’s working on himself, he’s working on the things he says he wants to get better with and do better on. So that’s the first step to me, so I commend him for doing that.”

When both players are healthy, Tagovailoa and Hill have been an explosive combination. In 2023, Hill led the NFL with 1,799 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns. The Dolphins need Tagovailoa and Hill to find that connection again in order to get back to the postseason.