Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill was unable to participate in joint training with the Buccaneers due to a thumb injury

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill is unlikely to play in Miami's final game of the season due to a thumb injury that also kept him out of a joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday.

The injury is not considered serious, but Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said he was being cautious with the star player because the team did not want to risk the situation getting worse.

Although Hill did not practice against the Bucs, the speedy receiver wore protective gear and no protective pads on his hands when catching passes and during some individual actions.

“There are certain situations when you're in training camp and training. Tyreek could train today, but there are also times when they're at risk of further injury due to their physical condition,” McDaniel said before training together.

“So from a medical standpoint, it's really about cooling things down so nothing happens at the expense of regular season games,” the coach added. “He's been very active, but we're trying to make sure we keep him out of the danger zone.”

McDaniel said some starters will play in Friday night's final game of the season against the Bucs, but others will not.

“The strategy is simple, where the guys are,” McDaniel said. “There are jobs up for grabs and then to really evaluate all the jobs that are at stake, you end up prioritizing certain aspects of your team and bringing in game reps for the guys who haven't played in games as much.”

Hill, who did not play in Miami's first two preseason games, set a career high with 119 catches and led the NFL with 1,799 receiving yards in 16 games last season.

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