Tyreek Hill plays through wrist injury, scores to end touchdown drought in Dolphins' win over Rams

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — It wasn't certain if Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill would be available against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night. Not only did he play, Hill ended the longest touchdown drought of his NFL career in Miami's 23-15 win.

Known for his explosive gains, Hill got into the end zone on a 1-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa in the third quarter to put the Dolphins (3-6) up 17-6. Hill had gone seven games without scoring after catching a touchdown in the season opener against Jacksonville, when he also had a season-high 130 yards on seven receptions.

“I didn’t know that, which is crazy, man," Hill said. "Yeah, it’s a blessing to be back in the end zone. Man, I’m grateful to be a part of this team. However I can help this team, I’m all for winning. It don’t matter about me scoring, man. It’s about winning. It’s the importance of being able to do something special amongst these guys.”

Hill had been questionable because of a torn ligament in his wrist. He missed two days of practice last week, and Tagovailoa said the team didn't know whether Hill could play until Sunday night.

Fellow receiver Odell Beckham Jr., however, was confident Hill would be there.

“I mean, I don’t feel like he wasn’t gonna play, injury or not," Beckham said. "Nah. There’s no way he wasn’t gonna play on ‘Monday Night Football’ when we’re in a must-win situation. So just for him to be able to do that, score, he knows how much he means to this team, so we appreciate him.”

Hill finished with three receptions for 16 yards. It was his second lowest output as a pass catcher this season, after managing one grab for 8 yards at Indianapolis in Week 7. Hill added 11 yards rushing on two carries.

That stat line didn't do anything to address what it on pace to be Hill's least productive season since his rookie campaign in Kansas City in 2016. He now has 37 receptions for 462 yards and two touchdowns, a sharp drop-off after having at least 1,700 yards in each of his first two seasons with Miami. He previously spent six seasons with the Chiefs.

The 30-year-old Hill has had at least 1,200 yards receiving in each of the previous four seasons. He led the NFL with 1,799 yards and 13 touchdown catches in 2023 and agreed in August to a restructured contract with more guaranteed money.

Much of this season's downturn can be attributed to an extended absence for Tagovailoa because of a concussion. But Tagovailoa said there was no pushback from Hill or Jaylen Waddle to try and make up those numbers since he returned against Arizona in Week 8, especially against a Rams' defense that mostly played conservative pass coverages.

“Coming into this game, they could have easily said, like, ‘Dude, just continue to throw the ball, even if they’re in a two-high shell,'" Tagovailoa said. "But those guys are in it, man. They’re just in it to win it.”

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Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill runs the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, right, escapes a tackle by Los Angeles Rams safety Kamren Kinchens during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill makes a catch for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, left, celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill warms up before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran, insisted “the situation has come under total control” in fiery remarks that blamed Israel and the U.S. for the violence, without offering evidence.

“That’s why the demonstrations turned violent and bloody to give an excuse to the American president to intervene,” Araghchi said, in comments carried by the Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network. Al Jazeera has been allowed to report from inside the country live despite the internet being shut off.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)