Garrett Wilson, Tyreek Hill, NY Jets, Trade, Offer, Miami Dolphins
Tyreek Hill, Garrett Wilson, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Getty Images, Jet X Graphic

Missing out on the Tyreek Hill was a blessing in disguise for the New York Jets’ culture

When Tyreek Hill chose the Miami Dolphins over the New York Jets, many Jets fans were chagrined. Having the dynamic receiver for Zach Wilson was tantalizingly close to happening, only to be snuffed out by a divisional foe.

When Hill’s trade and contract terms were announced, it became apparent that the Jets dodged a bullet. Miami mortgaged its future to acquire the speedy wideout, both in draft capital and salary cap space. With a roster full of holes, Joe Douglas could not afford to give up that kind of haul for a guy Hill’s age.

Still, there is an overlooked aspect of Hill that made him a curious fit for the Jets in the first place.

Robert Saleh has repeatedly stressed his desire to bring character to this team. While Hill has kept himself relatively clean on the football field (peace signs notwithstanding), he has done anything but off it. A guy who choked and beat his pregnant girlfriend and punched his three-year-old son is not the kind of character the Jets want. While there are always teams willing to take a shot on a talented but troubled player, Saleh and Douglas have made it clear that the Jets are not among them. So what were they doing with the pursuit of Hill?

Perhaps the allure of one of the best receivers in the league was just too much for Douglas to pass up. Perhaps the GM knew that he’d be eviscerated by the fan base if he did not attempt a trade. What was going through his mind regarding character concerns is anyone’s guess.

In hindsight, though, the Jets are better off without Hill. They went on to select three blue-chip, high-character prospects in the first round of the draft.

Sauce Gardner is confident, but he’s a team player and works harder than anyone else.

Garrett Wilson‘s broad smile when he was drafted by the Jets has reflected in everything he has said and done since.

The Jets passed on Kayvon Thibodeaux, about whom questions of effort persisted. Instead, they would later take Jermaine Johnson, who epitomizes Saleh’s “all gas, no brake” mantra.

Meanwhile, Hill adjusts to Miami by trying to defend his embattled quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. While that is a noble sentiment, he has gone about it by taking shots at his old quarterback. Hill recently claimed on his new podcast that Tua is more accurate than Patrick Mahomes.

Aside from the foolishness of such comparisons, this is the antithesis of the character that the Jets sought. Imagine Hill defending Zach Wilson’s rookie season against Mahomes!

Douglas and Saleh have set the tone for this team. This is the Jets team of years past that was clean and easy to root for. This bunch is low on divas and high on team players. However the Jets’ season goes in 2022, it will be as a unit from the top down. The traits the Jets sought in their players will help them stay together through the highs and lows of a long season.

Audio Version available to members only: Learn more here

Download Jet X Mobile on the App Store and Google Play.

Want More NY Jets News & Jets X-Factor Content?

Download the free Jet X Mobile App to get customizable notifications directly to your iOS (App Store) or Google/Android (Google Play) device.

Add Jets X-Factor to your Google News feed to stay up to date with the New York Jets.

Follow us on Twitter @jetsxfactor for all the latest New York Jets news, Facebook for even more, Instagram for some of the top NY Jets images, and YouTube for original Jets X-Factor videos.

Join the official Jets Discord community to connect with likeminded fans.

Rivka Boord has followed the Jets since the age of five. She is known locally for her in-depth knowledge of football. She hopes to empower young women to follow their dreams and join the sports conversation. Boord's background in analytics infuses her articles with unique insights into the state of the Jets' franchise and the NFL as a whole.
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
10 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Jonathan Richter
Jonathan Richter
1 year ago

Hadn’t heard that Hill hit his 3-year old kid. Glad we dodged that bullet and got Garrett Wilson instead.

gpapanj
gpapanj
1 year ago

Rivka, I’m so happy I don’t have to root for this guy. If our receivers live up to their potential we’ll have an effective and exciting passing attack, players from our draft picks and cap room.

Misterhawk
Misterhawk
1 year ago

Hill is undeniably talented and reportedly a great locker room guy, but I never understood why the Jets were in on him. I’m glad he’s in Miami and look forward to seeing our secondary shut him down.

Loose Nut
Loose Nut
1 year ago
Reply to  Misterhawk

My take is that it was Woody getting impatient and trying to sell jersey’s (ala Tebow). Douglas said sure, then leaked the deal thru back channels and was “surprised” when a team swooped in. Never felt like a Douglas move to me, just keeping a meddling owner pacified.

Jets71
Jets71
1 year ago

I don’t disagree with the overarching theme of your article but I do think you may have a bit more conviction on some points than should be written about another person. I do think you are an excellent writer and enjoy your “takes” and passion.