One of NFL’s fastest players has ‘no power’ in one injured leg, casting doubts on 2026 season

The thing Tyreek Hill is known for, aside from his off-field troubles with domestic partners, is his elite sprinter’s speed. But the two surgeries he’s had since dislocating his left knee in September 2025 have changed that – at least for now.

“My left leg is the one that I injured,” Hill said in a YouTube video released Wednesday titled “The Cheetah Runs Again.” “I have no power in my left leg at all. I’m trying to regain all the power back in my left leg,” he continued.

It is obviously not optimal for an NFL wide receiver who relies on speed and quickness to be essentially operating on one leg 10 months after an injury.

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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) leaves the field after losing to the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sept. 7, 2025. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

That is the reason no team signed Hill this offseason despite the fact the Miami Dolphins released him after 2025 and he is a free agent.

But Hill shows his trademark optimism in the video, discussing his approach to rehabilitation and suggesting he remains hopeful for an NFL return.

“I’ma keep grinding, dog. You know?” Hill said. “My timeline looking, I ain’t gonna tell you what my timeline is, but timeline looking real good right now, man.”

One NFL source said Hill’s timeline is to be back in the league – preferably with a team pointed toward the playoffs – before the end of this season. That would allow him to perform in the postseason.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, New York, on Sept. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

But even that goal may be too ambitious.

“Teddy Bridgewater dislocated his knee and he missed a year-and-a-half and he’s a quarterback,” said Dr. David Chao, the founder of Sports Injury Central, the former team doctor of the San Diego Chargers and OutKick’s sports injury expert.

“The injury was more than an ACL. It was a knee dislocation with multiple ligaments. You talk about a true orthopedic emergency. And potential for, never been reported to my knowledge, nerve damage – and is that why his leg still doesn’t have power?

“This is Herculean for a quarterback to return in one year. He’s a wide receiver. Not going to happen.”

Hill said his recovery has required two surgeries, the latest to address an LCL issue in February.

Hill’s video apparently signaled the first time he ran on his rebuilt left limb although it included nothing more than a few sprints in his backyard and work in his pool.

“My knee’s like, bro. What are you doing today?” Hill said. “You know, they told me I may not be able to walk. And the dog was like, bro, we don’t know what’s gonna happen with your future. And now look at me.”

So, Hill believes he’s on course for an NFL return at some point.

Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill looks toward the field on the sideline before an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sept. 29, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, file)

But he’s obviously nowhere near the end of his journey. And he clearly knows this.

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“Just trying to get my explosion, and my first step,” he said. “So, whenever I step back on the field, it’s like none of it is missing.”

This week was merely a step to get some power back into his leg.

Follow Armando Salguero on X: @ArmandoSalguero