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Tyreek Hill was upbeat and eager to thank supportive fans before Tuesday's surgery to repair the horrific knee injury he suffered during the Miami Dolphins' win over the visiting New York Jets on Monday night.
'Tyreek Hill here, the Cheetah, about to go in for this surgery,' the 31-year-old receiver told his social media followers from his hospital bed. 'Keep your boy in your prayers. You guys have been awesome man.'
Hill continued, saying the 'entire NFL has been amazing, sending me lots of love, lots of prayers.'
'I'm absolutely honored, man, granted, the situation, but I love you guys so much,' he concluded. 'Hope to see you soon. Cheetah.'
The gruesome knee injury Hill suffered is somehow worse than initially feared.
Not only did the speedster known as 'Cheetah' dislocate his left knee, but according to ESPN, he also tore his ACL and is expected to have surgery Tuesday. Hill is not expected to return this season.
Tyreek Hill was upbeat and eager to thank supportive fans before Tuesday's surgery
Hill (10) talks with a staff member as he is carted off the field after suffering his knee injury
The 31-year-old went down along the sideline in the third quarter as Jets safety Malachi Moore landed awkwardly on the back his legs. Hill's agony was immediately apparent as he began writhing in agony while medics rushed onto the field.
Disturbingly, Hill's foot appeared to be pointing in the wrong direction as he was being examined.
A Dolphins spokesperson told Daily Mail that coach Mike McDaniel will give an update at Tuesday's press conference.
Former Dolphins offensive tackle Terron Armstead posted an update on Hill's condition just after 11:00pm on Monday: 'I just got a FaceTime call from my brother [Hill]! First thing he said 'man I'm just happy we got that win'!!
'He's in good spirits and said he was laughing through the pain, to avoid passing out!! crazy! Praying for best news possible and speedy recovery!'
McDaniel shared a similar note about how Hill seemed upbeat in spite of his sudden ailment.
'He was probably in the best spirits of any player that I've ever -- it's such a terrible experience when you go out and see guys when they have issues like that -- but he immediately had wide eyes and was talking, 'I'm good. Just make sure the guys get this win.' He was focused on the team,' said McDaniel.
McDaniel also noted that Hill was laughing and joking with teammates as he was being loaded on the cart. The coach credited the receiver's attitude with keeping his team focused in Miami's first win of the year.
Tyreek Hill screams in pain after going down with injury as the Dolphins played the Jets
Hill's fourth season in Miami ends after just four games. He finished with 21 catches for 265 yards and a touchdown on 29 targets for the season. His third season in Miami was also a major departure from his first two, both of which ended with All-Pro honors.
Although he managed to play in all 17 games for the injury-plagued Dolphins, Hill's production dropped from a league-best 112.4 receiving yards a game in 2023 to just 56.4 yards a game last season. As a result, he went from 13 touchdowns to just six while finishing with fewer than 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2019.
Worst of all, he ended the season by making a cryptic trade demand ('I'm out bro') before walking back those comments as the team neglected to pull a deal.
While Hill's relationships in the NFL are a work in progress, the one with his estranged wife is seemingly beyond repair.
Fitness entrepreneur Keeta Vaccaro filed for divorce on April 7 a day after cops responded to reports of an 'assault in progress' at the couple's luxury Miami condo.
Hill is in the midst of a contentious divorce from estranged wife Keeta Vaccaro (left)
Hill hurled a laptop onto the floor and was 'aggressive and impulsive' according to Vaccaro's mother Alesia – but police determined that 'no crime was committed.'
An astonishing 78 court documents have been submitted since then as the estranged couple bicker over spousal support and access to their seven-month-old daughter Capri.
Vaccaro's lawyers took aim at Hill in an April 17 filing that claimed he had 'no sincere desire to spend time with the baby, to assume parental responsibilities … or to be personally involved with the baby'.
The gridiron phenom's real objective, claimed attorneys Evan Marks and Carolyn West, was 'coercion and control.'
Hill has accused her of stealing from him and moving her family into his home without permission, while her attorneys have denied those claims, stating that the income was marital property, as defined by Florida law.
