Not long ago, it looked like the Jacksonville Jaguars wouldn’t have to faceTyreek Hill when they play the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 of the regular season. However, the All-Pro receiver says his availability for the opener should not be in question.
Hill told the Miami media heading to the Week 1 matchup that he’s fine for the season opener, pointing out that he just needed a few days to be healthy.
“I’m fine. I just needed some days off. That’s it,” Hill said. “I’m fine, I’m healthy. All of my fantasy draft people, I’m fine. I’m ok, 100 percent. I wanted to troll y’all a little bit.”
Hill missed all three preseason games and a portion of training camp with a thumb injury. He later told the press corps during the exchange that he was just taking care of his health.
“We were doing our things, but at the same time, we got to be mindful of our bodies. For me, I’m an older player. Sometimes, I forget that, and I forget about the maintenance of my body. That’s why we’ve got people inside of this building for that job. They tell us, ‘You need to back it off a little bit.”
Based on his comments, Hill will be a full-go for the Dolphins in the opener. That isn’t great news for the Jaguars, who have the personnel to contain him but would rather not have to go against him.
On the other hand, Miami will still be without Odell Beckcham Jr., who was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list to start the season. Similarly, edge rusher Bradley Chubb landed on PUP, so at least the Jaguars’ offensive line will catch a bit of a break.
The Jaguars will face a Dolphins team at relatively full strength
While the Dolphins will be without Bradley Chubb, Jaelen Phillips will probably be available for the game. The 2021 first-round pick missed the preseason but has returned to practice after suffering an Achilles tear last year. Even if he’s not 100 percent, the Jaguars will need to look for ways to decrease his impact. Add the fact that Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle will suit up and the matchup will not be nearly as easy as it appeared to be just a couple weeks ago.
Then again, that’s the nature of the NFL, and the Jaguars know it. You must take any possible advantage when it’s there, but more often than not, clubs must clear hurdles to win games. In the case of Jacksonville, they’ll face off against the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. This means that Miami will have a slight edge by virtue of being the home team.
The good news is that the Jaguars travel well and made several upgrades in the offseason that should allow them to keep up with the Dolphins. Moreover, they’re as healthy as they can be ahead of the opener, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see them coming out on top, even if they have to face Tyreek Hill.
