Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill being investigated after alleged battery

The Buffalo Bills have had no shortage of offseason drama and intrigue, from Leslie Frazier stepping down as assistant head coach/defensive coordinator, to Josh Allen making headlines with Hailee Steinfeld, and of course the mandatory minicamp situation involving Stefon Diggs. But the Bills aren’t the only team making headlines these days.

One of the Bills’ biggest AFC East foes is also one of the NFL’s hottest topics this week, with current Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill being investigated for “allegedly hitting a man at a marina in Miami” this past Sunday, on Father’s Day.

In a series of tweets by Sports Director Will Manso and Reporter Ian Margol, both of WPLG Local 10 News, reported details reveal that the Miami-Dade Police Department is investigating the altercation involving Hill and an employee of a charter company based out of Haulover Marina.

Per a trio of tweets by Margol:

We’ve learned Hill’s group was fishing for tarpon from the dock at Haulover Marina - which is not allowed. Tarpon are protected in FL and the county doesn’t allow any fishing there for safety (lines tangling on ropes or hooks hitting people walking, etc).

We’re told the charter boat employee informed them of the rule which (led) to an argument, and ended with Hill hitting the man in the back of the head. After speaking with several experts, I’m told IF he’s charged it will likely be simple battery - a misdemeanor.

Those experts also say reports the victim isn’t pressing charges aren’t true (I’m told no decision has been made there) and, even if they were, they aren’t relevant. Miami Dade PD and then the SAO can bring charges with or without the victim’s participation.

You may recall this isn’t the first time Hill has been embroiled in battery accusations/charges. None of the following is pleasant to discuss and includes just the basic facts of the two situations.

In 2014, Hill pled guilty to domestic violence and battery by strangulation — both against his girlfriend who was pregnant at the time. The result of his actions led to his dismissal from Oklahoma State’s football team, plus a sentence that included three years of probation.

Then in 2019 while a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, Hill was investigated by police for alleged battery of his son, who was just three years old at the time. Ultimately, no charges were filed, and Hill wasn’t disciplined by the NFL following the incident and investigation.

The NFL has a well-documented history of disciplining — via an ascending slope under its personal conduct policy — those who repeatedly find trouble. As such, it’s not unreasonable to consider that the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell could hand down a punishment that’s more severe based on Hill’s history and repeated allegations of assault.

Semi-recent history tells us all we need to know about any rush to judgement and allowing due process to play out.

But for the Buffalo Bills, the AFC East, and the larger NFL, Hill’s current situation bears monitoring. Should the Miami Dolphins lose Hill to a suspension, it stands to reason their offense would suffer — with teams more able to key in on Jalen Waddle and others.

The AFC East as a whole is expected to compete as one of the league’s toughest divisions this coming season, and Hill is a big reason the Dolphins are part of that conversation.