Tyreek Hill
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MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 24: Tyreek Hill #10 of the Miami Dolphins looks on prior to the game against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on November 24, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The Miami Dolphins were at the center of the NFL schedule release on Wednesday, but not for reasons fans might have expected.
As teams across the NFL prepared to unveil their 2025 season schedules with creative campaigns through social media, the Indianapolis Colts briefly posted their own version before quickly removing it.
The reason for the removal was due to a segment in the video that took a pointed shot at Dolphins star WR Tyreek Hill.
A Joke Gone To Far?
In the since-deleted clip, a cartoon dolphin labeled “Hill” is seen being chased, and ultimately apprehended, by the US Coast Guard.
The animation clip was used in announcing the Colts’ week one home opener matchup against the Dolphins.
Though the clip was brief, it sparked some immediate backlash online among Dolphins fans and the NFL Media.
NFL schedule release videos have become a major offseason event and have garnered mass fan attention.
Usually, these videos are used to engage and create a unique way for teams to reveal their upcoming opponents. However, the Colts’ misstep highlights how mixing real-life controversy with entertainment content can have a negative effect.
Per ESPN/Colts reporter Stephen Holder, the Colts released a statement on the now-deleted video.
“We removed our schedule release video because it exceeded our rights with Microsoft and included an insensitive clip involving Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. We sincerely apologize to Microsoft and Tyreek”.
It remains unclear as to how the Colts exceeded their rights with Microsoft, but the clip clearly taking a shot at the Dolphins star was hard to miss.
The Colts even reached out to Tyreek Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to pass along their apologies, per ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
However, the Dolphins star released a statement via his X account stating “Should’ve left it up Colts, this was funny”.
Dolphins Look Ahead
The Miami Dolphins, meanwhile, made a season schedule release video of their own that was narrated by long-time Dolphins’ linebacker Zach Thomas.
The video gave fans a glimpse into their 2025 opponents and revealed a surprise in terms of when the Dolphins will appear in the primetime window of the season.
The Dolphins were given five primetime games this season, including a trip to Spain to face the Washington Commanders.
This gives the Dolphins a large number of games under the NFL spotlight, which usually indicates the narrative of how competitive a team will be over the span of a season.
For the Dolphins, this gives the team an immense opportunity to put any doubts to rest and perform well under the bright lights of primetime football.
Now, the focus will remain on looking ahead and building momentum for their home opener against the Colts.
A game that now looks to have much more meaning given the untimely release of the controversial schedule release video.
With QB Tua Tagovailoa entering his fifth year with growing expectations and WR Tyreek Hill looking to charge the Miami offense, the Dolphins are looking to make a splash in a pivotal 2025 season.
In the Dolphins schedule release video, Zach Thomas said “We’re done looking back. Now we charge forward”.
A statement that holds truth to how the Dolphins will look to move on from an unwelcomed situation.