The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a pressing need at the wide receiver position for years. Unfortunately, that didn't end with their move for DK Metcalf during the 2025 offseason. After trading for Metcalf, the Steelers sent George Pickens packing, putting them back at square one.
Now a hot-button name just hit the market.
On Monday, the Miami Dolphins released Tyreek Hill. The superstar receiver earned eight straight Pro Bowls to begin his career while being named as a First-Team All-Pro selection five times since 2016. In back-to-back seasons in 2022 and 2023, after leaving the Kansas City Chiefs, Hill earned over 1,700 yards in both seasons.
After four seasons in Miami, one of the league's best receivers of this generation is on the free agent market... yet the Steelers should want no part of Hill.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should not pursue Tyreek Hill in free agency
Despite their desperate need for wide receiver help, the window to pursue Tyreek Hill has long passed for the Pittsburgh Steelers. And there's more than just one reason to leave him in free agency.
Hill is coming off a brutal season-ending knee injury after playing in just four games for the Dolphins in 2025. This isn't just a common ACL tear injury (which, by itself, can take 8-12 months to fully recover). Hill's catastrophic injury incuded dislocated his knee and multiple torn ligaments. Five months into recovery, another surgery may be needed, while experts have pointed to the potential of nerve palsy.
All of this makes his availability for the start of the 2026 season uncertain. If he does return to the field, teams have the right to question if one of the fastest players in NFL history will ever be the same, considering the severity of his injury and the fact that he will turn 32 before the start of free agency.
However, there's a more important reason the Steelers should stay away from signing Hill.
The superstart receiver is at the center of a domestic violence investigation, stemming from allegations in September 2025. This comes after a civil suit in 2024. Hill has a past legal history as well, pleading guilty to domestic assault and battery in 2014.
Hill could be facing a lofty suspension in 2026. But in the event he goes unpunished by the league, the Steelers wouldn't want to make a PR move like this.
Even if his medicals were perfect and he had suffered no knee injury in 2025, Hill already came with significant baggage, and the Pittsburgh Steelers need to set a precedent by steering clear of the troubled receiver. This team needs a starting wideout to pair with DK Metcalf, but Tyreek Hill is not the answer.