Indianapolis — The Indianapolis Colts have officially issued an apology to Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill and Microsoft after a video that was shared on social media during the NFL schedule release drew significant backlash. The video, featuring a spoof of the popular video game Minecraft, which is owned by Microsoft, showed a dolphin wearing a Hill jersey being stopped by a U.S. Coast Guard boat. This clip was intended as a light-hearted joke but quickly became controversial and was deleted not long after it was posted.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Colts acknowledged the mistake, saying, “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.” This incident occurred just a few months before the Colts’ season opener against the Dolphins on *September 7*.
The Colts had aimed to produce engaging content as part of their schedule release, a time when many NFL teams create videos to attract fans, especially younger audiences. However, this particular attempt led to unintended consequences.
In the wake of the apology, Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, relayed that Hill accepted the Colts’ gesture and even found the video amusing. “Tyreek thought the video was funny and laughed when he watched it,” Rosenhaus mentioned in an email.
On a broader note, the NFL continues to evolve, as the league has announced that team owners will discuss the possibility of allowing NFL players to compete in flag football during the 2028 Summer Olympics. Additionally, attention is growing around Travis Hunter as he begins his professional career, with many speculating on which records he might break.
As the NFL season approaches, teams are gearing up for the year ahead, and fan engagement remains a top priority in all creative endeavors.
