Hill sizes up first ‘Hard Knocks,’ nacho incident. And Dolphins injury, personnel news

A six-pack of Dolphins notes on a Wednesday:

▪ The debut of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” got the seal of approval from Tyreek Hill, who was featured prominently. Hill and his wife, Keeta Vacarro-Hill, agreed to be interviewed in their dining area, and Keeta was miked during the Raiders-Dolphins game.

“I was very impressed,” he said Wednesday after practice. “At first, it was something that I didn’t want to do, but my mom and my wife kind of insisted that we do it.”

Hill was surprised to learn that he grunts while running:

“It’s crazy. When I was watching it, I was like, ‘damn, I grunt when I run?’ It sounds like I’m hurting when I’m running. It’s cool though. To see how those guys are capturing everything is absolutely amazing. I’m glad to say that I’m blessed to be a part of it, grateful to be a part of this ‘Hard Knocks’ story. Whenever we look back at this 20 years from now, we can say, ‘man, we used to do some crazy stuff back in the day.’ It’s absolutely amazing.”

In one of the more memorable scenes from the first episode, a fan spilled nachos on Keeta Vacarro-Hill after she lifted her arms in celebration and knocked the nachos out of the fans’ hands.

“The nacho thing, it was definitely her fault,” Hill said of his wife. “She got back to the car and her and my mom were like, ‘Yeah, it was his fault the whole time.’ I watched the thing and I was like, ‘you hit out of his hand, though. You had me hot at this dude.’ And now I see the video and it’s like, you feel me? It was funny, though. Once I saw it on Hard Knocks, I was laughing my [butt] off.”

Hill said his wife “told me when she got to the bathroom, she had to put water in her hair” to remove the nacho cheese. “She doesn’t really like putting water in her hair because it turns curly.”

And what about the referee telling him not to do the peace sign?

“That’s never happened with the referee before,” Hill said. “That was just something the NFL wanted to just get out there on camera. It’s crazy. I just played along. I just played into their little game. Just don’t fine me for saying it though.”

So is the peace sign banned?

“I don’t think it’s banned. I don’t know,” he said. “I think it’s suspended for the moment. Not banned.”

Linebacker Bradley Chubb also watched the first episode and said: “It’s pretty cool. Not as invasive as you think but still makes a great production.”

▪ Tight end Durham Smythe and guard Robert Jones returned to practice Wednesday, and Smythe said “I believe I will play” against the host Jets on Friday (3 p.m., Amazon/CBS-4) after missing the Raiders game with an ankle injury.

Eleven players were listed as limited in Wednesday’s practice, all on offense: Smythe, guards Jones (knee) and Robert Hunt (hamstring) and Lester Cotton (hip), running back De’Von Achane (knee), left tackle Terron Armstead (knee), receiver Chase Claypool (knee), Hill (hand), fullback Alec Ingold (foot and ankle), right tackle Austin Jackson (oblique) and Raheem Mostert (ankle and knee).

Hill, Mostert, Jackson, Armstead, Cotton and Ingold are all expected to play Friday.

McDaniel said he’s not sure if Achane will play but that there’s no risk of him worsening his injury by playing.

Hunt, who missed the past two games, said he “felt good” at practice. “I’m hoping I’ll be on the field.”

McDaniel said he’s optimistic that Hunt will be active Friday but was noncommittal about whether he would play.

In general, McDaniel said that “there’s a lot still up in the air” about who will play and who won’t.

▪ Running back Jeff Wilson Jr. will be active Friday after being a healthy scratch against the Raiders.

After missing the first six games with finger and rib injuries, Wilson has received only seven carries in four games.

“It’s tough, especially as a player where you have aspirations and goals for yourself,” he said Wednesday. “I don’t want to say it’s been peaches and cream because I want to play. That’s everybody’s aspirations. I just want to be out there with the guys.”

Asked about being inactive for the Raiders game, he said: “It wasn’t something I would want… You can be selfish if you want. But where is that going to [get] you?”

Wilson said he’s fully healthy.

Asked if he feels like himself, he said: “Better than myself. I got a new fire under me, a new chip on my shoulder, on top of the one I already had.”

He said he feels recharged for the stretch run, “not only mentally but physically as well. It’s been a total reset, a total mind game for me.”

▪ Mike White, who signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the Dolphins on the first day of free agency, said the Jets never offered him a contract this offseason.

White started seven games and had 9 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over two years with the Jets. But New York opted to keep former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson as Aaron Rodgers’ backup. When free agency started, the Jets anticipated acquiring Rodgers.

“There wasn’t an actual offer,” White said of the Jets. “The Dolphins thing kind of happened so quick after free agency started. [Agent Joel Segal] talked to them once in the process; they did say they really liked me and wanted to figure out a way to get me back.”

But no offer was made.

“I understand the gymnastics of it and the draft politics,” White said at his locker on Wednesday. “No hard feelings at all. I appreciate them giving me a shot, giving me that chance to get my career to where it’s at today.

“I understand the business of it. They spent a high pick on Zach and want to keep developing Zach and they had Aaron [in mind]. I miss the guys. But I’m really happy where I’m at now. This is a special locker room and just being back home” after growing up in Broward County has been enjoyable.

He said “going back” to New Jersey for Friday’s game is “going to be bittersweet. It’s going to be weird being on the other sideline.”

▪ Last season, Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler had two of the four highest snap counts among all NFL defensive linemen. This year, Wilkins and Sieler have been top 12 among defensive tackles in that area.

What does it require to play that much at a position as physically taxing as defensive tackle?

“It’s physical conditioning,” Sieler said. “It’s also just the mentals of it. Christian has done a great job helping teach me because he did play early on in his career a lot of snaps. Just kind of how weekly what we need to do to get your body right to recover and to get ready for next Sunday’s game, to be able to take those amounts of snaps if needed.”

▪ We wrote last week about how Dolphins players admire and appreciate how Tua Tagovailoa blames himself for all errors, even ones he didn’t commit.

White will sit in quarterback meetings and be amazed when Tagovailoa will blame himself for developments that aren’t his fault. Keep in mind that a handful or so people are usually in the room - Tagovailoa, White, No. 3 quarterback Skylar Thompson, quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell and often, Dolphins special advisor and Hall of Famer Dan Marino.

“It happens all the time, all the time,” White said. “That’s who he is as a leader. That’s why all the guys love playing for him. There will be times he will say something and me and Skylar will look at each other like, ‘Man, that’s not the case.’

“We know ‘so and so messed this up.’ And Tua will wear it, even when we all know it would be so easy for him to say, ‘yeah he messed up.’ He never says anyone messes up besides himself. That’s what you want out of a quarterback.”