Possible Midseason Trade Destinations for Tyreek Hill
The Dolphins may be prepared to move their top receiver. What teams might be interested in his services in a midseason trade?
The Miami Dolphins are 0-3 to open the season and, while they still have 14 games left to play, it's likely the team will clean house after the season, which may include trading or cutting key players.
The Dolphins are currently $3.5M under the cap and are projected to be $14.5M over the cap in 2026 with 36 players under contract (the 2026 projection doesn't include 2025 carryover). Given that situation, chances are strong that the Dolphins will move on from at least one high-priced player.
The most likely candidate is wide receiver Tyreek Hill. He will carry a $51.9M cap charge in 2026, but the Dolphins can clear $36.3M in cap space by cutting or trading him. They could also trade him before the Nov. 4 trade deadline this season, which would allow them to clear a little cap space this season.
If the Dolphins were to trade him this season, the acquiring team would only be responsible for a portion of his $10M base salary plus a portion of his $1.8M per-game roster bonus. The Dolphins already paid Hill an option bonus of more than $15M. That makes it feasible for the majority of teams to acquire Hill during the season and fit his 2025 salary under the cap.
With that said, a team who acquires Hill this season will have to decide whether to keep him for 2026 when he's due a base salary of $29.9M. It's possible Hill will want an extension and he may seek a deal that puts him closer to the top of the receiver market. While he might not reach what Ja'Marr Chase got ($40M APY, $109.8M guaranteed), he may want to surpass DK Metcalf ($33M APY, $80M guaranteed).
There's also the question of draft pick compensation in a trade for Hill. A team trading for him this season will consider that they may not be prepared to keep him in 2026, which means they'd be less inclined to give up a high draft pick. If a team trades for him next season, how much they send to the Dolphins depends on how willing that team is to extend Hill.
Let's say Hill was traded this season. It wouldn't surprise if he was traded to a playoff contender who sees Hill as the final piece needed to reach the Super Bowl. However, if the Dolphins want to get the most in a trade, they will need to send him to a team who sees Hill as somebody they may want to extend in 2026, rather than a team that's just keeping him for the remainder of the year and then move on.
If a trade were made during the 2026 offseason, it wouldn't surprise if Hill would ask that team for an extension. Therefore, the team would need to be in a decent cap position in 2026, rather than a team that enters 2026 over the cap and needs to clear space.
Let's stick with midseason trades for the time being. Assuming the acquiring team takes the remainder of Hill's salary, the Dolphins might not get as much as people think. Most likely, the Dolphins would get a fourth-round pick back, but it could be a fifth if the acquiring team expects to cut Hill in 2026. If the Dolphins agree to pay the bulk of Hill's 2025 salary, they might get a higher draft pick.
Who would be the possible candidates for a midseason trade for Hill? Let's look at teams who might come up in trade conversations.
Chiefs: Let's start with the obvious one — the Chiefs haven't found a receiver who has offered consistent production since they traded Hill to the Dolphins. It hasn't been for lack of effort by the Chiefs front office, but situations ranging from injuries to suspensions to lack of production from draft picks have left the Chiefs in search of a true No. 1 target.
The Chiefs have a little more than $3M in cap space available but could work things out to accommodate any remaining salary Hill is due. The problem comes next season, when the Chiefs are projected to be $44.7M above the cap with 35 players under contract.
Though the Chiefs did extend Chris Jones, if the Chiefs did trade for Hill this season, I have a hard time seeing them extend Hill beyond 2026. They need to focus on extensions for younger players they want to keep and, given that they are likely to cut a player or two, will need to utilize space for other roster needs.
Commanders: While the Commanders have acquired Deebo Samuel in a trade and extended Terry McLaurin, they could see Hill as the final receiver they need to put them over the top. That's particularly true with Noah Brown dealing with a groin injury.
The Commanders would have the cap space to accommodate Hill's salary, as they have $28.1M this season and are projected to have $57M next season with 34 players under contract. They could figure it's worth investing money in two receivers while they still have Jayden Daniels on a cost-controlled contract.
The consideration for the Commanders is they don't have their second- and fourth-round picks in 2026 after trading for offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. They would have to ask themselves if it's worth giving up more draft capital or if they're better served by finding more younger players to draft and develop.
Rams: We've seen the Rams make aggressive moves before to acquire players they believe can get them to the Super Bowl. It's true that Matthew Stafford may be nearing retirement but that may prompt the Rams to see if they can get another Super Bowl before he calls it a career.
The Rams would have no problem accommodating Hill's salary. They have $15.6M in cap space available now and are projected to have $74.4M in 2026 with 39 players under contract. Acquiring Hill would give them a good starting trio with Davante Adams and Puka Nacua.
Also, the Rams have 10 draft picks in 2026, so they have the capital. The question, though, is whether or not they are targeting a QB in 2026 and thus would rather keep capital to acquire one, whether in moving up the draft board or finding a veteran. Still, if the price point was reasonable, the Rams are a team to watch here.
Niners: Though I'm not convinced the Niners would make such a trade, we'll consider them for the sake of argument. The Niners could see Hill as a final piece for a Super Bowl push, particularly if they don't expect Brandon Aiyuk to return this season.
The Niners currently have $25.7M in cap space available and are projected to have $17.3M next season with 43 players under contract. They are projected to have 10 draft picks in 2026, so they are in a good cap and draft pick position to make such a trade.
With the Niners, it comes down to whether they think Hill could be part of the long-term picture. For players who are getting older, they would be better off drafting replacements than signing free agents. Again, I'm not convinced the Niners would trade for Hill, but if they believe they can reach the Super Bowl, they are in a position to make the trade.
Ravens: It seems the Ravens often enter the conversation of playoff contenders who don't have a true No. 1 receiving threat. Zay Flowers has played well but some may not be convinced he can lead the way, so acquiring Hill could help.
The Ravens could accommodate Hill's salary as they have nearly $9M in cap space this year and are projected to have $32.3M in space next season. They are expected to have 10 draft picks once comp picks are accounted, so they are in position to make a move for Hill if they wish.
For the short term, it may be worth the Ravens taking a chance here. For the long term, that's another question. It boils down to whether the Ravens would want to commit resources to Hill or spend money elsewhere. While the Ravens tend to be judicious when it comes to trades, this one might be worth exploring.