The NFL world was rocked by breaking news on Saturday when it was revealed that the San Francisco 49ers reportedly shipped All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel to the Washington Commanders. Following the news of this trade, it’s even more clear what the Miami Dolphins need to do with Tyreek Hill.

The reported trade sends Samuel to the Commanders for a fifth-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft. The Dolphins, meanwhile, may have wanted to move Hill if they could find a suitable return.

Clearly, a fifth-round draft pick will not be what the Dolphins are hoping for in exchange for Hill. Eating a large portion of his contract would help facilitate a trade, but it likely wouldn’t drop the compensation to a level Miami would want.

The trade of Samuel clearly shows the Dolphins that their best option would be to keep Hill this season and gauge the future in 2026.

Best option for the Miami Dolphins to move on from Tyreek Hill remains the 2025 trade deadline

We have said in the past that Miami moving on from Hill could make more sense at the trade deadline in the middle of next season. Teams who are closing in on a playoff spot may look at Hill as a needed piece to make an impact in the postseason.

The Dolphins and the veteran wide receiver would both know where the team stands by that point in the 2025 season, and if they are not in a playoff position, there would be no need to keep him around to just potentially release him in the 2026 offseason.

For now, Miami needs to close the doors on Hill being moved this offseason and concentrate on building their roster and filling the holes at key positions. If a fifth-round draft pick is the best they can hope for, maybe a round sooner, the value of keeping Hill is clearly still higher than trading him for the Dolphins right now.