Tyreek Hill – December 6, 2024
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Friday, December 6, 2024
WR Tyreek Hill
(You’ve handled everything great this year. Offensive Coordinator Frank Smith was asked yesterday about you not being in on the goal line in that late play. Did that bother you at all? What’s your reaction when you’re not in the game during a critical moment on offense like that?) – “As a teammate, you understand personnel and certain things that coaches are looking for, but as an individual, as a competitor, it sucks because at the end of the day if we don’t score there, I’m going to feel some kind of way. But my mindset and the growth that I’ve had in my career throughout the years is that I’m a teammate now where I’m in a better space and I understand what the coaches are exactly trying to do, so it is what it is. We all have to learn from it as a group, not just the coaches but also as players and we’ve just got to take our wins and losses.”
(Is that something you would discuss Head Coach Mike McDaniel or Pass Game Specialist/Wide Receivers Wes Welker or did you decide not to?) – “No, no, ain’t no bad blood in that. I’m in great spirits regardless of whatever is going on, but at the end of the day, I did have a conversation with Coach (McDaniel). It kind of helped me understand their point of view and exactly what they’re trying to do, so I understand it. Everything is about scheme. These guys do this certain coverage in this area, these guys – we’re looking for this type of scenario in this situation. So just in that scenario, I wasn’t a part of it so it is what it is.”
(When you put that in perspective, how much has WR Tyreek Hill grown now? Because a younger Tyreek probably wouldn’t have sort of receptive to that?) – “I would’ve been hot. I would’ve been cussing somebody out on the sideline. I would’ve been probably on Twitter talking trash like saying, ‘Get me out of here,’ ‘Do this, X, Y, Z, man.’ But I just feel like right now, man, I’ve got to be a great example for the young guys in this locker room, so I feel like if I’m very outspoken, if I’m being a diva about not getting the ball, about not being in the game, those guys are going to be a reflection of who I am because those guys are going to be like, ‘Oh, if 10 can do it, we can do it, too.’ So I really don’t want to bring that kind of negative attention inside of our locker room because the season isn’t going the way that we all planned, so why add even more drama to it?”
(In recent years, have you usually been on the field in those situations inside the opponents five-yard line?) – “Trick question. (laughter)”
(I can do the research. I’ll do the research.) – “Yeah, yeah, I have. Great question. Yes, I have, but I just feel like teams change, coaches change, so schemes change. We all know how it goes. It’s all about trying to get a competitive advantage at the end of the day. Coach (McDaniel) felt like if we went with a heavier personnel, those guys would go all backers or something like that and he’ll be able to throw it like a quick pass to whoever. To me, when I went back and looked at it, I thought it was a great idea. We just had some guys kind of get caught in trash, which is nobody’s fault, so at the end of the day, we’ve just got to be better as a unit. Whoever’s out there on the field, you’ve got to trust and believe those guys are going to make the play so that’s what it all unfolds.”
(Has your wrist felt about the same in the last couple of weeks?) – “Yes, sir, it has. I’ve been doing whatever I can to rest it, to recover it the best way I can. The training staff here, those guys have been doing a great job of allowing me to take days whenever I need it to give me a break from catching, give me a break from blocking. So everything’s been great, man.”
(You’ve been a great sport about lack of deep balls. When a game goes by where you don’t get any of those deep targets, does it bother you at this stage of your career? Do you feel like it’s a part of the offense that needs to be more prominently displayed in the offense?) – “Not really, man, because if you really look at the defenses that we’ve played against, guys aren’t really allowing a deep shot to the Miami Dolphins. Defenses are truly falling in love with playing Cover 2 defense against us. They don’t care about nothing else, don’t care about the run game, don’t care about nothing else. They just want to stop ‘10’ (Tyreek Hill) and ’17’ (Jaylen Waddle) from (references SportsCenter Top 10 music). So at the end of the day, you’ve just got to be a teammate. You’ve got to do whatever the team needs you to do in that moment. If that requires you to block 30 times a game, it requires you to block. If it requires you to run through the middle and open other guys up, then that’s what it takes, because eventually it’s all going to turn soon. We play 17 games for a reason and I feel like if we continue to have the success that we’ve been having which Tua (Tagovailoa) has been playing lights out, defenses are going to change soon and going to be like ‘We’ve got to stop ‘28’ (De’Von Achane), we’ve got to stop ‘31’ (Raheem Mostert), we’ve got to stop Jonnu from catching those quick passes across the middle,’ because those guys are dangerous as well, too.”
(Seems like Jets CB Sauce Gardner’s status is in doubt. What does that do for the Jets defense whether he is able to go or isn’t?) – “Sauce (Gardner) is a great competitor, man. He’s one of the best in the league. He definitely changes the dynamic of how those guys want to play over there, but schematically I think they would try to do some similar things, so I really hope he does play and stays off Twitch.”
(Are you friends with Jets WR Garrett Wilson or Jets WR Davante Adams by chance?) – “No, I’m not friends with either one of those guys.”
