In a recent interview, Tyreek Hill revealed how Mike McDaniel eerily predicted what Hill could accomplish this season with impeccable accuracy.
Mike McDaniel has proven to be an offensive savant, his system turning around the Miami Dolphins in a matter of months.
For anyone familiar with McDaniel, this is to be expected: McDaniel was praised by NFL players like George Kittle for his creative brilliance in drawing up plays and exploiting mismatches.
One of the most entertaining mismatches to witness this year, aside from Tua Tagovailoa versus man coverage, is Tyreek Hill against virtually anyone. Hill is on pace to become the first NFL wide receiver to break 2,000 receiving yards in a season, edging past Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson in recent weeks.
Even though NFL media and fans laughed at Hill over the summer for his comments on Tua’s accuracy and an underthrown pass at camp, Hill isn’t surprised by the meteoric success the Dolphins have seen with the weapons they possess. The Dolphins don’t just have weapons on the field, but on the sideline, and that’s exactly why Hill signed with Miami over competing offers.
“I was an avid Miami fan, and other teams were calling,” Hill explained on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast, Club Shay Shay. “But I was like, ‘No, it’s a no-brainer — Miami. Because I’ve seen what Coach McDaniel can do. I know that he’s an offensive guru, and I knew that Tua was him.”
After mentioning how Tua went underrated due to “bad situations” he endured during his first few NFL seasons, Hill said that he expected to have his best year yet with the Dolphins. After leaving a dominant Chiefs team headed by Patrick Mahomes, it seemed unfathomable that Hill could level up even more anywhere else, but that’s exactly what he did.
“When I got there, that’s what me and Coach McDaniel were talking about,” Hill said. “He was like, ‘Bro, we’re gonna get 2,000 [yards], bro.’ That’s the first thing he said to me. He didn’t say, ‘Hey, welcome!’ Like, 2,000. First thing he said to me. I was like, ‘you must be reading my mind!’”
Mike McDaniel predicted Tyreek Hill’s success with Miami Dolphins well before anyone else
The fact that Hill could be the first NFL player to reach 2,000 receiving yards — and the fact that Mike McDaniel called it months ago — is monumental on several levels.
Aside from setting the benchmark even higher for future wide receivers, Hill would solidify his own Hall of Fame case. In fairness, he’s done a fairly spectacular job of that so far in his career, but this would definitively cement his place in Canton.
There’s also the fact that when McDaniel predicted this, both McDaniel and Hill were newcomers to Miami. Both were unproven in their latest NFL venture, and there was no certainty that McDaniel would replicate his success with San Francisco, or that Hill would match up with Tua the way he did Mahomes.
But Miami made the bold move of trading for Hill in order to pair him with Jaylen Waddle, while McDaniel was able to demonstrate that Tua has no problem throwing a deep ball. All three of these players have thrived in McDaniel’s Shanahan-inspired system, but it’s what these players and coaches expected as soon as Tyreek Hill set foot in the building.
At the very least, Mike McDaniel definitely knew that Hill would make a push for a 2,000-yard season.