The Miami Dolphins reportedly had some internal disciplinary issues throughout their disappointing 2024 season, and star wide receiver Tyreek Hill was fined on multiple occasions for being a repeat offender.
ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques published a story on Thursday that examines some of the ways the Dolphins have tried to change what became a problematic culture last season. One of the issues the team had amid their 8-9 campaign was that players were often late to practices and team meetings.
One anonymous player who is still with the Dolphins told ESPN that he felt the team’s captains took advantage of their status. Hill and All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers over the summer, were two of Miami’s eight captains last season. Louis-Jacques said both players were “repeat offenders” of rules violations and were fined multiple times by the Dolphins.
Some felt the tardiness showed a lack of respect for Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who refrained from calling his players out publicly. One former Miami player said the issues were not new but that no one cared when the Dolphins were winning in McDaniel’s first two seasons on the job.
“Everyone was fine with cutting meetings, cutting practice when they’re winning, but once you’re losing, it’s like now you can’t get mad at that,” the player said. “You were just enjoying it when you were winning.”
Hill had a tumultuous season last year that began with him getting arrested on the way to Miami’s Week 1 game. It concluded with him suggesting he wanted to be traded, though the eight-time Pro Bowl wideout has since walked that back.
Hill admitted in May that he needed to do a better job of being a leader. Those comments make even more sense now knowing that he was fined by the Dolphins on more than one occasion in 2024.
The Dolphins are 0-2 following losses to the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots. Fans have begun calling for McDaniel’s job, and the talk of disciplinary issues is not going to help his cause.
