Before Tyreek Hill can run a nine route or post pattern, his quarterback and Miami Dolphins’ teammates are eager to cover some other ground.

Tua Tagovailoa said Hill is starting to rebuild relationships left somewhere between fractured and entirely flamed when the 31-year-old wide receiver removed himself from the season finale against the New York Jets, ripped teammates and requested, informally, relocation out of Miami.

“It’s not just with me, it’s with a lot of the guys,” Tagovailoa said. “I’m not the only one that heard that. You guys aren’t the only people that heard that. A lot of people that follow football, that follow the Miami Dolphins, that follow Tyreek that are fans of his — everyone has seen that. So, when you say something like that, you don’t just come back from that with, ‘Hey, my bad.’ You got to work that relationship up, you’ve got to build everything back up again.”

Hill publicly signaled he was changing direction on Tuesday, claiming his perspective changed with a pause in the offseason and vowing to be a “better leader” and the “best version” of himself going forward.

Tagovailoa said he believes the words are more than that this time, describing Hill as more vulnerable and transparent.

“Being vulnerable with some of the things that people know about his personal life and things of that nature. And I think that’s the first step to him,” Tagovailoa said. “Building true relationships and a real connection with a lot of the guys in there.

“Everyone knows what he can do on the field. Everyone respects what he can do on the field, but I think he’s still trying to figure things out for himself as well. … Everybody makes mistakes. … So just got to cut him some grace. I mean, that’s our teammate. We love him, but as a person, if you get to know him, I think you’d love him too.”

–Field Level Media