Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill turned heads on Sunday, September 8, not only for his 80-yard touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars but for his unusual end-zone celebration that mirrored a real-life event earlier that day.
After catching the long pass in the third quarter, Hill, 30, marked the touchdown by mimicking being handcuffed. Alongside teammate Jaylen Waddle, who pretended to act as a police officer, Hill walked along the end zone wall with his hands behind his back. The gesture referenced Hill’s detainment that same morning, when he was stopped by police just a block away from the Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium.
The Dolphins, who went on to win 20-17, had reassured fans before the game that Hill would play, despite the viral videos showing the NFL star lying face-down on the ground, handcuffed and surrounded by Miami-Dade police officers.
Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, expressed his dismay following the incident. “How things escalated into a situation where Tyreek was handcuffed and on the ground is mind-boggling,” Rosenhaus told ESPN. “I’m deeply concerned by it. We’ll be looking into this and investigating.”
The Miami-Dade Police Department confirmed Hill had been briefly detained following a traffic stop near the stadium. In a statement to PEOPLE, Police Director Stephanie V. Daniels announced an internal investigation into the detainment, stating that “one of the officers involved has been placed on administrative duties while the investigation is conducted.”
While Hill joined his teammates and scored the first touchdown of the Dolphins’ season, his agent revealed that the wide receiver was “very distraught” by the encounter. Daniels emphasized her commitment to transparency, noting that body camera footage and all details of the event would be thoroughly reviewed.
Despite the unsettling morning, Hill’s touchdown and controversial celebration became one of the most talked-about moments of the Dolphins’ victorious opener.