Tyreek Hill's wrist injury is serious enough for the receiver to consider surgery, but not until after the end of the 2024 season.
The superstar Miami Dolphins receiver explained his current situation Thursday, telling reporters he will play in Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders -- participation made possible by pain management.
"At the end of the day, I just got to suck it up and just deal with the pain," Hill said. "It's going to get worse the more I play, but I got to [gut] it out for my team. I'm here, I'm locked in no matter what, no matter how I feel. So even if I've got to cut my wrist off, I'm still out there because I love the game of football.
"Surgery was brought up and it was talked about whenever I talked to a few of the doctors, but it's my call at the end of the day, and my call is to stay out on the field."
Hill did not have an injury designation on Friday's final injury report for Week 11.
Hill initially injured the wrist during the summer while participating in joint practices with the Washington Commanders and had been playing through it in the first 10 weeks of the season. The injury had worsened leading up to the Dolphins' Monday night game against the Los Angeles Rams, though, leading to a questionable designation on the injury report.
That didn't keep Hill from playing in the prime-time affair, in which he caught three passes for 16 yards and a crucial touchdown reception.
Still, Hill hasn't come close to producing at the rate that saw him finish 2023 as the NFL's leading receiver. Much of that has been due to instability at quarterback following Tua Tagovailoa's concussion suffered in Week 2, but his comments this week suggest Tagovailoa's absence wasn't the sole reason.
Regardless, Hill will continue suiting up for the 3-6 Dolphins, who need a strong finish to preserve any hopes of a return to the playoffs.
