Getting off to a strong start is important in the NFL, and nobody has done that more than Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill, The former Kansas City Chiefs receiver, traded to Miami this offseason, had seven catches on eight targets for 143 yards and a touchdown in the Dolphins’ 35-32 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. That put Hill at 1,104 yards for the season, which is the most in the Super Bowl era for any receiver through his first nine games of a season. Raymond Berry of the 1960 Baltimore Colts had 1,147 through the first nine games of that season, which is pretty amazing in a run-dominant era, and the all-time mark of 1,162 yards through nine games belongs to Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch of the 1951 Los Angeles Rams.
Isaac Bruce of the 1995 St. Louis Rams held the Super Bowl era mark with 1,073 receiving yards in his first nine games, and Bruce ended up with 119 catches for 1,781 yards and 13 touchdowns. Amazingly, Bruce didn’t lead the NFL that season in any of those categories — Herman Moore of the Detroit Lions led the league with 123 catches, Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers led with 1,848 receiving yards, and Cris Carter of the Minnesota Vikings and Carl Pickens of the Cincinnati Bengals tied for the receiving touchdown lead with 17.
Whether Hill paces the league or not in every category this season, he’s been every bit of what the Dolphins hoped he’d be when they traded 2022 first-, second-, and fourth-round picks, and fourth- and sixth-round picks in the 2023 draft for Hill, and then signed him to a four-year, $120 million contract.
Hill has been especially tough to stop in conjunction with fellow receiver Jaylen Waddle. This season, Hill and Waddle have combined for 1,916 receiving yards through nine games, the most by a receiver duo in the Super Bowl era. Only Bill Groman and Charley Hennigan of the 1961 Houston Oilers (1,950 yards) ever had more.
Tyreek Hill is making history, and good luck to whoever wants to try and stop him.
Flippin' happy that @cheetah is a 🐬. 🙂#FinsUp x #BudLightCelly pic.twitter.com/lLBzFal3IX
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) November 6, 2022
