Tough Break for Former Dolphins Tight End Hill
The New England Patriots announced a couple of shakeups to their offense, both good and bad, and it'll make a big impact when they take on the Miami Dolphins this season.
The defending AFC champions announced Monday that tight end Julian Hill has been placed on the IR due to an undisclosed injury. This is ending his 2026 season, which likely would have seen him be the go-to tight end for blocking, his specialty in Miami.
That wasn't the only news to come out of Foxborough. Philadelphia has traded its star wide receiver, A.J. Brown, to the Patriots in exchange for New England's 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder, pending a physical.
These two moves have shaken up the Patriots' offense. Keep in mind the Dolphins host them in Week 8, and then in the regular season finale in Foxborough. This chain of events for the Patriots, however, started with a big decision Miami made last season.
No Revenge Story For Hill
New England had signed Hill to a three-year, $15 million deal in March in an effort to replace their former blocking tight end, Austin Hooper, who is now in Atlanta.
The Patriots already have an offensive weapon in the tight end room - Hunter Henry - but Hill would have been who they'd rely on for running plays. New England could either shop for an available tight end or turn to their third-round pick in the 2026 draft, Eli Raridon.
Hill spent the past three seasons with Miami. In 11 starts in 2025, he caught 15 passes for 140 yards. Hill mainly served a blocking role to create holes for De'Von Achane and the running backs, provide Tua Tagovailoa with more time in the pocket, and more.
That all changed, however, when the Dolphins signed Greg Dulcich to the practice squad in late August and then the active roster in October. A third-round pick for Denver in 2022, he caught five passes in his second game with Miami in a loss to Baltimore.
In 10 games with the Dolphins, Dulcich recorded 335 receiving yards with a touchdown in a win against Tampa Bay. Earlier this offseason, Miami re-signed him to a one-year deal worth $3.25 million. Dulcich is the clear front-runner for the starting spot at tight end if the Dolphins choose to go with a receiving specialist at the position.
The Dolphins also brought in a pair of tight ends this offseason-- Ben Sims, a free agent who last played with Minnesota, and Cole Turner, who signed a reserve/futures contract. In addition, they drafted Ohio State tight end Will Kacmarek in the third round of the 2026 draft.
A Loud, Big-Time Addition
New England brought in A.J. Brown, who had been tied to trade rumors for weeks. After spending his first three seasons with Tennessee, he put up his best numbers with Philadelphia from 2022 onwards, being named a second-team All-Pro three times and helping the Eagles win Super Bowl LIX.
Just like that, Brown is arguably Drake Maye's top offensive weapon alongside Kayshon Boutte and Romeo Doubs. New England already averaged 250.5 passing yards per game in 2025 - the fourth-most in the NFL. Brown will look to make an immediate impact in helping the Patriots remain one of the NFL's best teams offense-wise.
The biggest issue with Brown was his locker room presence. Brown was very vocal about the woes Philadelphia's offense was facing during the 2025 season, and there were plenty of rumors and reports about the failing relationship between him and QB Jalen Hurts.
So all in all, Miami walks away from this not needing to deal with a Julian Hill revenge game, but that's about it. The Dolphins were swept by the Patriots in 2025, with Maye throwing for 421 passing yards and three touchdown passes in both games.
While their rushing offense took a hit with the loss of their main blocker at tight end, the Patriots will still likely have as reliable a running game as they had in 2025. At the end of the day, New England got better, and the Dolphins' strength of schedule didn't get any easier.
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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 6:37 PM.