Tyreek Hill found liable on two battery counts as NFL conduct review stays open

A Miami civil jury found free-agent receiver Tyreek Hill liable on two counts of battery against his estranged wife, Lakeeta Vaccaro, on Tuesday night, and awarded her $500,000 in compensatory damages. The verdict lands while the NFL is still reviewing the same allegations under its Personal Conduct Policy and while Hill is trying to return to the league.

Adam Schefter called it a mixed verdict. The jury held Hill liable for an incident in January 2024 and another on April 7, 2025, but rejected the eight remaining claims, which included further battery counts, continuing domestic violence and assault. Jurors did not award punitive damages.

Hill, 32, testified on October 8 and denied that any argument with Vaccaro had ever turned physical. He appeared relieved when the verdict was read, embracing a member of his legal team before leaving the courtroom.

Where the NFL stands

The league has not announced any discipline. “We have been monitoring developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy,” an NFL spokesperson said after the verdict.

The civil result does not bind the league, which runs its own investigation, but it can be used as evidence along with Vaccaro’s sworn testimony. The policy also allows the commissioner to place a player on paid leave while a case is pending, an option that could come into play if Hill signs with a team before the review ends. Hill’s history matters here too: a 2015 guilty plea to domestic assault and battery could lead to a stiffer penalty if the league finds a new violation.

Return to football on hold

Before the verdict, Drew Rosenhaus had said a deal for Hill could happen at any time. On Wednesday, the agent struck a different tone. “Nothing is imminent at this time,” Rosenhaus said. “He’s continuing his rehab with the goal of being on a team in the immediate future.”

Hill has been a free agent since Miami released him in February. He is still working back from the dislocated left knee and torn ligaments he suffered in September 2025. Earlier this month he opened contract talks with several clubs, and the injury-hit Kansas City Chiefs were among the teams in contact, as we reported when Hill began negotiations. No team has announced an agreement.

What comes next

Three questions remain open: when the NFL finishes its review, whether it puts Hill on paid leave if he signs, and whether any club moves ahead before the league decides. Until one of those is answered, the receiver who caught 479 passes for Kansas City from 2016 to 2021 stays unsigned.