UPDATE: Tyreek Hill has been traded to the Miami Dolphins for a package that includes five draft picks.
Hill is also receiving a new contract that makes him the highest-paid wide receiver in football, topping the contract Davante Adams signed last week.
His new contract pays $120 million over four years, including $72.2 million in guarantees.
What Tyreek Hill trade means for Miami Dolphins
Even though they’re parting with their first-round selection once again, the Miami Dolphins couldn’t have landed an immediate impact player such as Hill with the 29th selection in this year’s draft. While it’s a deep class for incoming receiver prospects, Hill is already playing at a Pro Bowl level.
He can continue teaching Jaylen Waddle, helping him become the best version of himself. Waddle already showed a lot of potential in his rookie year out of Alabama, but now the Dolphins have two slippery fish that will be tough to catch in the open field. It’s a dangerous duo that could quickly become one of the best pass-catching groups in football.
How Tyreek Hill trade impacts Kansas City Chiefs
For Patrick Mahomes, he loses his top target on the Chiefs. Or to spin it another way, Mahomes has never played in the NFL for a full season without Hill by his side. How will losing his top field-stretcher impact the Chiefs’ downfield passing attack?
Sure, they’ve added JuJu Smith-Schuster to a corps featuring Travis Kelce and Mecole Hardman, but the latter isn’t as developed or polished as Hill is. JuJu, while effective, doesn’t possess nearly the same game speed as Hill has. It will be a change, how much it slows down or speeds up the Chiefs remains to be seen.
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Initial story about Tyreek Hill contract negotiations breaking down, given permission to seek trade
The NFL has already seen a whirlwind of player movement featuring some of the game’s biggest stars. In possibly the latest reminder that the offseason is far from over, now Kansas City Chiefs superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill could be the next blockbuster trade.
Hill and the Chiefs had been working on an extension, likely that would make him the top-earning wide receiver in football. But according to Ian Rapoport, talks have hit a major snag, and it could lead to Hill’s departure from the Chiefs altogether.
The Chiefs have even gone as far as to allow Hill and his agent to seek a trade to other teams. For any organization looking for a No. 1 wide receiver this offseason, this is an incredible development. It’s safe to say, Hill would command a premium price via trade, likely not that far off from what we just witnessed when Davante Adams went from the Green Bay Packers to the Las Vegas Raiders.
There are plenty of teams who have that type of draft capital and have a large need for a top playmaking receiver who can take the top off the defense.
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Miami Dolphins, New York Jets have trades worked out for Tyreek Hill, he just needs to decide
Could we soon see Tua Tagovailoa or Zach Wilson launching footballs downfield to one of the game’s best deep threats? According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, both the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets have a Tyreek Hill trade preliminarily agreed to, they’re just waiting on the receiver to make his decision, on which team he prefers.
It comes as a shock for the Chiefs to be willing to trade Hill within the AFC to a team they could very well run into during their annual postseason appearance. But, as Schefty notes, the Jets and Dolphins are in the driver’s seat to add the lightning-quick Hill to their stable of receivers.
Landing in Miami would give the Dolphins two burners outside with Jaylen Waddle and Hill, providing a jolt to Mike McDaniel’s offense in his first year as head coach.
Meanwhile, the Jets need to find an alpha receiver who their potential franchise quarterback can learn to rely on. There may not be a receiver who consistently creates as much separation at the top of his routes as Hill does, this could be just what Wilson needs to build confidence as he heads into his second season.
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5 other trade destinations for Tyreek Hill this offseason
As teams look to the draft to fill needs now that the top wide receivers have disappeared from the free agent market, a new contender has emerged, and he’s pretty good. Teams can never have enough speed and Tyreek Hill may be one of, if not the fastest player in the league and he happens to also be very polished as a receiver too.
Still just 28 years old, Hill has four 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, he’s also one of the most dangerous return men in the game as both a kick and punt returner, provided you’re willing to put your top playmaker on the line on special teams.
Whoever trades for Hill would also likely have to negotiate a long-term contract extension that recognizes him as one of the game’s best at his position. Based on the contract Davante Adams signed, this could have Hill earning around $28 million per season. Which, if there’s one player who has consistently proven to be a headache for defenses, it’s Hill. Meaning, he’s likely worth whatever his contract demands are.
All of this is to say, every team in the NFL who doesn’t have a player like Hill (so everyone), will be curious of the cost to acquire a player of Hill’s caliber. Here are five teams who have both a need and the capital to trade for Tyreek Hill this offseason, all of which are in the NFC.
- Philadelphia Eagles: Their reported trade with Calvin Ridley fell through due to his indefinite suspension from gambling. They have yet to acquire another receiver capable of filling his cleats. Yet, with three first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft, they have what it takes to put together an attractive trade package to land Hill in Philly, forming a potent duo with De’Vonta Smith.
- New York Giants: Like their NFC East rivals, the G-Men are in a position to do some damage in the draft. They also lack a true No. 1 receiver, despite what Kenny Golladay’s contract states. Having two top-ten picks should get them to the negotiation table, and maybe they even toss in Sterling Shepard or Darius Slayton to help entice the Chiefs while clearing space for their new offense.
- Green Bay Packers: What better way to boost the spirits of Aaron Rodgers after they traded his leading receiver? Fitting Hill under the cap would be a different story, but he would certainly fill Adams’ shoes nicely and the Packers do have some newfound draft capital.
- Detroit Lions: Whether he wants to join the Lions or not, they have a strong need for talent in the WR room and have both the 32nd and 34th picks in April. That may not be enough to get them in the driver’s seat to acquire Hill, but they can always add future picks or nearly anyone else on their roster that the Chiefs may have interest in.
- Atlanta Falcons: Calvin Ridley’s suspension takes away from what was already a lackluster receiving corps. Russell Gage’s departure to an NFC South rival only made matters worse. We don’t know who will be under center, throwing passes to Kyle Pitts next year, but adding Tyreek Hill outside would make them a desireable landing spot going forward. Or, they could pull the trigger on a QB in the draft, which would give their rookie a strong start with gamebreaking playmakers to rely on.
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Kansas City Chiefs trading Tyreek Hill comes out of nowhere
There’s no guarantee that the Chiefs will trade one of their best players. They know just how important Hill is to their offense. Two first-round picks or whatever the cost may be to part with him likely isn’t enough. You can’t teach speed, sure you can find players with the top measurables, but chances are they can’t catch or run routes like Hill can. That’s what makes him so special.
Allowing him to seek a trade may just be their way of calling Hill’s bluff. Whatever numbers they’re looking for might be more than the Chiefs had in mind, and this could be a way for them to see just how much other teams are willing to offer Hill, as well as show him what opportunities are out there.
Hill won’t find another situation like he currently has with Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Andy Reid in Kansas City. He might be able to get a contract that pays him more, but the chance to compete for a Super Bowl ring each season while being your team’s No. 1 target in the passing game isn’t easy to find. Sometimes home really is where the heart is, for Hill, that might be right where he is, in Kansas City.
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