Tyreek Hill has heard the few murmurs of trade rumors surrounding his teammate, Jaylen Waddle, all the way from Greece. It’s safe to say he’s not a fan of the idea.
Hill described Waddle as “the future” and called anyone wanting to trade him out of Miami “ludicrous” in a series of messages posted to X (formerly Twitter).
“Him and Tua was special before me and will be special after I leave,” Hill wrote.
That wasn’t all the praise from Hill. He also described Waddle as “better than I was at this point in his career” — a bold statement for a player who earned three Pro Bowl nods in each of his first three seasons in the NFL with the Chiefs.
Hill is clearly just defending his teammate, but does his statement hold any validity? Sporting News is taking a look at the numbers.
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Tyreek Hill vs. Jaylen Waddle stats
Waddle has played three seasons since he was selected sixth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He is also in his second season playing alongside Hill since the former Chiefs’ standout was traded to Miami.
Here’s a look at some of their stats, and who has the edge in which category between the two.
| Tyreek Hill | Stat | Jaylen Waddle |
| 223 | Receptions | 251 |
| 3,255 | Receiving Yards | 3,385 |
| 25 | Receiving Touchdowns | 18 |
| 68.6% | Catch rate | 69.5% |
Simply looking at basic receiving stats, it’s clear Waddle has gotten off to a faster start. That does come with a bit of a caveat, however.
Hill was drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He largely began the season on special teams and as a depth wide receiver until Week 8, when he had his breakout game, catching five passes for 98 yards and a touchdown. From there, his production began to tick up, though he still did not make his first NFL start until Week 13. He has been a starter from the start of his second year through the present.
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Both receivers have had to contend with other top targets that garner plenty of attention. Hill competed with Travis Kelce, who, in Hill’s rookie season, posted his first 1,000-yard receiving campaign after back-to-back 800-yard seasons. Waddle has had to compete with Hill for catches in his second and third Dolphins seasons.
When it comes to the volume stats, Waddle is off to a historic start to his career. There have only been nine wide receivers in NFL history to begin their careers with three straight 1,000-yard seasons, according to Stathead. Waddle is one of them:
| Receiver | Years | Total Receiving Yards |
| John Jefferson | 1978-80 | 3,431 |
| Randy Moss | 1998-2000 | 4,163 |
| A.J. Green | 2011-13 | 3,833 |
| Mike Evans | 2014-16 | 3,578 |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | 2014-16 | 4,122 |
| Michael Thomas | 2016-18 | 3,787 |
| Justin Jefferson | 2020-22 | 4,825 |
| Ja’Marr Chase | 2021-23 | 3,717 |
| Jaylen Waddle | 2021-23 | 3,385 |
Overall, Waddle ranks 16th in total receiving yards over a wide receiver’s first three seasons. Hill ranks 20th.
But judging the start of a receiver’s career takes more than just the basic receiving stats. Here’s a look at a few other key stats, per Pro Football Focus.
| Tyreek Hill | Stat | Jaylen Waddle |
| 1,373 | Yards After Catch | 1,404 |
| 6.2 | Yards After Catch Per Reception | 5.5 |
| 2.19 | Yards Per Route Run | 2.21 |
| 17 | Drops | 25 |
| 57.5% | Contested Catch Success Rate | 43.4% |
| 36 | Missed Tackles Forced | 28 |
Several more of the advanced stats appear to favor Hill. Though he wasn’t seeing the football as frequently due to his limited role, he was often making more happen when he had the ball in his hands. He was more likely to hang onto the ball, win a contested catch opportunity, and force a missed tackle.
Waddle still has the advantage in yards per route run, which highlights how dangerous he has been anytime he takes off running routes.
Tyreek Hill contract
Hill inked a four-year, $120 million extension with the Dolphins when he was traded to Miami. He officially completed the first year of that deal in 2023, and he now heads into a 2024 season in which he is slated to take on a cap hit of $31.3 million, according to Spotrac.
Hill had hinted at possibly retiring when his deal expires after the 2026 season, at which point he’ll be headed into his age-33 campaign. He has since walked back that suggestion.
Jaylen Waddle contract
Part of what gets dicey for the Dolphins in the coming years is Waddle’s contract. He is headed into the final year of his rookie contract unless Miami picks up his fifth-year option. Needless to say, that’s likely going to be among the easiest fifth-year option decisions in the league.
Spotrac estimates his fifth-year option to cost about $15 million for 2025, which would then put the Dolphins at a combined $49 million in cap space used on just their two star wide receivers. Waddle will be extension eligible this offseason and is certainly going to warrant one of the largest wide receiver contacts in the league.
Paying both Waddle and Hill gets to become further complicated when a contract for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa also has to be negotiated this offseason or else the Dolphins run the risk of letting him get to free agency.