Shannon Sharpe Calls Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill NFL’s ‘Scariest Player,’ Gives Nod Over Jerry Rice

Tyreek Hill couldn’t have gotten off to a better start to the 2023 season, and the Dolphins wide receiver’s stock is soaring after Week 1. Indeed, with 215 yards in Miami’s win over the Chargers, Hill’s goal of recording the NFL’s first 2,000-yard receiving season looks realistic.

On the heels of Hill’s big game, ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe came out swinging Monday morning with a bold take and decided to compare Hill to the greatest wide receiver to ever live. 

“He’s the scariest receiver,” Sharpe said on First Take. “He’s more scary than Jerry [Rice]—I’m not saying he’s a better receiver than Jerry, but he’s scarier than Jerry because he’s one of the few men in the history of the game, that’s been able to take a five-yard route and turn it into an 80-yard spectacular [route]. 

Yes, Sharpe said Hill is scarier than the man who leads the NFL in career receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches.

Unlike Hill, Rice never was considered a speedster—a big reason he slipped to San Francisco in the first round of the 1985 draft. Rice’s excellence was widely attributed to diligent preparation and hard work.

Sharpe’s comparison makes sense in that context, but he’s still likely to face some backlash for his opinion.