That’s right, while the situation remains firmly in the rumors stage, when the player himself has potentially commented on them, posting the peace sign on social media, it all but certainly added some legitimacy to what has otherwise widely been speculation.

In the opinion of Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, where there’s smoke, there should be fire, as he wants nothing more than to see the Dolphins make a move, as Hill’s one of the few players on the roster who could generate a legitimate return.

“If I were the Miami Dolphins, I’d think about trading Tyreek Hill. But before we get to that, here’s to Terron Armstead, who is retiring after an illustrious 12-year career… Armstead turns 34 this summer. Before hanging ’em up, he was one of six Dolphins making more than $12 million per year. Three more—Hill (30), Jalen Ramsey (29), and Bradley Chubb (28)—will be 29 or older at the start of camp and have missed significant time over the past two years. Meanwhile, Tua Tagovailoa is now off his rookie contract, and there is some cap debt to manage from the aggressive building over the next few years,” Breet wrote.

“Also, it’s hard to imagine either Ramsey or Chubb, when the time comes, will bring a big return to help reset the team’s roster. I believe Hill still can. What’s more, you have a young player at his position, 25-year-old star Jaylen Waddle, who can soften the blow of a potential departure.”

Would it be hard to say goodbye to Hill, as such a move would all but certainly make the Dolphins a worse team? Sure, but Breer sees the writing on the wall and hopes Miami can land a soft rebuild before things fall off a cliff.

“Now, it would be painful, to be sure, to lose a guy who’s meant so much to how Mike McDaniel has built his program over the past three years. But at this point, with Armstead gone and significant questions on the roster (fingers crossed for Miami on second-year man Patrick Paul at left tackle), the hard question they have to ask themselves is whether they can win a championship with the current group,” Breer wrote.

“If the answer is no (and I’m not saying it is), then it makes sense for the Armstead decision to set off a plan for McDaniel and GM Chris Grier to rebuild around Tagovailoa on the fly. Getting a haul of picks for Hill would be a sensible place to start.”

Should the Dolphins trade away Hill? Or have they yet to meet their full potential at the NFL level, with a Super Bowl win still a possibility if everything comes together perfectly. While it’s hard to say, Breer is betting on the former, as no core of players at the NFL level can last forever. Better to trade Hill now, Breer figures, than be stuck with multiple massive contracts for declining players that will only lead to future firings.