TYREEK HILL ISN’T A CAPTAIN, AND THAT’S ACTUALLY HILARIOUS

The Miami Dolphins revealed their six captains for 2025, and yes, Tyreek Hill didn’t make the cut.

The internet collectively gasped. The memes practically wrote themselves. The hot takes? Already queued up waiting for the next misstep of Hill.

However, Mike McDaniel, calm as ever for a coach who’s NFL coaching lifeline might be on the theoretical hot seat is as cool as the other side of the pillow and handled it like the Zen master he is with a clipboard.

I think it’s more about the guys that we picked and less about the guys that we didn’t… there are a lot of guys exemplifying tremendous leadership qualities that aren’t a captain,” McDaniel said.

Translation: Tyreek’s still lightning-fast, still one of the NFL’s most dangerous receivers, but he’s not holding the ceremonial whistle this season.

Funny enough, that’s fine — because Hill can still burn defenses in practice and Sunday games while the official captain duties go to the veterans who earned them every day in the trenches.

THE DOLPHINS’ CAPTAIN VOTING = HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT COUNCIL?

The captain vote, according to McDaniel, was resounding — six players clearly stood out, leaving no ambiguity about leadership.

Hill’s absence isn’t a slight; it’s just….

…simple math?

I thought the disparity between those six vote getters and everyone else… naturally I think there’s a lot of players that could do a great job being a captain, but for this team, the players vote for it and with those six standing out so much that was an easy decision to cut it there,” McDaniel said.

High schoolers vote for prom king and queen. Dolphins vote for captains. The difference? These guys can literally destroy you on a highlight reel if you laugh too hard.

But let’s add some nuance here: leadership isn’t just a title.

Not all leaders are vocal or ceremonial. Also, not all leaders are upstanding citizens. Not all leaders follow the straight and narrow path and do everything by the book. Leadership arises in many different forms.

Hill on the other hand is the thype of leader that leads by action; According to McDaniel captains lead by example or voice. This is the essence of McDaniel’s philosophy: “They say, we do.”

Hill is the person that will start the opening drive with a go route, lose his defender and scorch the defense for a 65-yard bomb.

“It’s about the team. I don’t need a title to be able to lead. I’m going to continue to push the standard… I’ve always been a guy that led by example” said Hill.

Fans freak out over a “C” on a jersey, but the Dolphins need to have their thoughts and feelings about production and respect earned on the field, not social media clout.

TITLEs VS. IMPACT

Here’s the real kicker. Tyreek Hill is not a captain this season (the first time not being named one since 2022), but Hill is still arguably the Dolphins‘ most important player.

That’s the contradiction fans, people and media can’t wrap their minds around.

The six captains? Clipboard duties, coin tosses, speeches, and locker room pep talks. Wonderful.

Tyreek? Deep balls, explosive plays, and probably laughing at all the chaos. Leadership isn’t about a letter — it’s about showing up consistently and letting your play speak for itself.

Week 1 won’t be decided by who has a “C” — it’ll be decided by Tyreek burning corners and making the big plays when it counts. Who really leads a team: the ceremonial captains or the guy scoring on Sundays? In Miami’s case, the answer is obvious.

Let’s be honest: fans love drama. They want Twitter takes, hot polls, and a narrative where stars get their crowns. Reality? Coaches focus on what actually moves the team forward. McDaniel doesn’t care if the internet screams — the team does.

Tyreek Hill embodies the “They say, we do” mantra. Titles don’t matter. Production does. Respect is earned. And yes, sometimes the player doing the most doesn’t even have a title. That’s NFL reality in 2025.

WEEK 1 VIBES

So heading into Week 1 against the Colts: expect the captains to handle the ceremonial stuff. Expect Tyreek to handle the fun stuff — you know, scoring and making defenses look silly.

The Dolphins’ captain drama is hilarious, sure, but it’s also classic NFL reality: stars aren’t always captains, captains aren’t always stars, and Mike McDaniel doesn’t care what anyone says.

They say, we do. Tyreek Hill still does. And that’s all that matters.