With the deepening of the NFL off-season, the ever-changing market for outsourcing has once again become the focus, and a series of high-value contract signings have redefined the compensation landscape in this position. In this wave of change, the Miami Dolphins star outfielder, Terrek Hill, is standing at another crossroads in his career, ready to face new challenges and opportunities.
On Monday, Hill expressed his outlook on future contracts through Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. He admitted that as he entered a new stage of his career, he was full of curiosity and expectations about the new standards that the market gave him as a player. “I used to be one of the players who led the wave of outsourcing salaries, witnessing the glorious moment of a $30 million annual salary,” Hill sighed. “But now, young talents like Justin Jefferson have surpassed this threshold, and I am truly proud of their achievements. At the same time, seeing my teammate Jaylen Waddle also receive a satisfactory contract renewal, I am even more convinced that in this era full of opportunities, everyone has the opportunity to write their own legend.”
Looking back, when Hill transferred from the Chiefs to the Dolphins, his four-year, $120 million contract was undoubtedly a significant milestone in his career. At that time, he became a leader in the outsourcing market with an average annual income of 30 million US dollars. However, time passed like a white horse, and in just a few months, the salary level in the outsourcing market achieved a leap. According to data from Over the Cap, several players, including the Vikings’ Jefferson, have broken records with higher annual income, followed closely by Hill’s teammate Waddell, who signed a three-year, $84.75 million contract extension.
Faced with such a market environment, Hill’s existing contract appears somewhat conservative. In 2024, he will receive a guaranteed salary of $19.665 million in the last year of his contract, which undoubtedly provides an opportunity for him to strive for a new contract that is more in line with market value. As the leader of the Dolphin team’s external takeover group, Hill’s performance in the past two seasons is evident. He not only made it to the first team All Star for two consecutive years, but also maintained an extraordinary achievement of being selected to the professional bowl for eight consecutive seasons. In the just concluded season, he led the league with an average catch of 112.4 yards per game, with a total catch of 1799 yards, just one step away from becoming the first outfielder to break the 2000 yard catch mark in a single season.
However, for the Dolphins, it is undoubtedly a complex task to balance the overall salary structure and future planning of the team while meeting Hill’s salary requirements. In addition to renewing the contract with Waddell, the team also needs to negotiate with core players such as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and the rising prices in the quarterback market have brought considerable pressure to the team.
