While Tyreek Hill has been able to continue his elite play with the Miami Dolphins, he still regrets trying to force the Kansas City Chiefs into a massive new contract by threatening to force a trade.
Some questioned if Hill would be able to maintain his high-level production without reigning 2022 NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes throwing him the ball. However, his combination with young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in Miami has been a match made in heaven over their season and a half together. However, ending up in South Beach was never the superstar receiver’s intention.
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Hill is playing in the AFC East because his amazing six-season run with the Chiefs came to an end after he was traded before the 2022 season. The surprising decision occurred after Hill and the organization could not come to terms on a long-term extension.
- Tyreek Hills stats (2023): 61 catches, 1,014 yards, 8 touchdowns, 126.8 yards per game
Tyreek Hill laments trying to ‘bait’ Kansas City Chiefs into a new contract with huge guarantees
On a Tuesday edition of the “I Am Athlete” podcast, the seven-time Pro Bowler went into detail about how his departure from Kansas City came about despite never wanting to leave the team that drafted him in 2016.
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“It was a situation where my agent [Drew Rosenhaus] was trying to bait KC into giving me a contract. The idea was to never leave KC, and that’s the first thing I told my agent by the way. I got on the phone, and he was like, ‘Reek, I’m gonna fly down to you tomorrow, we gonna talk about our plan of attack to how we gonna get you a new contract in KC.
“And I was like ‘look, as long as I don’t get traded, because we just lost in the AFC Championship. I’m trying to get back at the Bengals bro.’ He’s like, ‘Okay, cool. We not gonna get traded, we just gonna get you a new deal.’ He flew down the next day we talked and stuff like that. We are still on the same page. He gets on the phone with [Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach], and he’s like, ‘Veach, look we gonna be forced to ask for a trade if you don’t get ‘Reek a contract.’ Veach is like, ‘OK…let’s talk numbers’.”
– Tyreek Hill
Hill claimed he was willing to play on a team-friendly deal in Kansas City, as long as the guaranteed money was good. However, when his agent made a strong push for that sort of contract, the Chiefs allegedly balked at the massive guarantees they were looking for.
In the end, the 29-year-old said his bond with his agent led him to trust in his decision, and that was to get a trade to a team that was willing to pay him what he “deserved.” Hill revealed that it came down to either the Dolphins or the Jets, and Miami won out due to their willingness to give more in a potential contract.
Following the trade, Hill signed a massive four-year, $120 million deal that includes over $72 million in guarantees with the ‘Fins.