Report: Chiefs Trade Superstar WR Tyreek Hill to Dolphins
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After it was reported on Wednesday morning that the Kansas City Chiefs allowed star wide receiver Tyreek Hill and his camp to begin seeking a trade, the situation is now growing clearer. The Chiefs are officially trading Hill to the Miami Dolphins, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Oct 3, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) celebrates his touchdown catch with teammates wide receiver Byron Pringle (13) and running back Jerick McKinnon (1) against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
In return for their six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, the Chiefs are getting back a ton of draft compensation, including a 2022 first-rounder, second-rounder, fourth-rounder and 2023 fourth- and sixth-round picks. This gives Kansas City more draft capital to work with in an effort to improve the team and recoup the loss of a franchise-altering talent such as Hill. The Dolphins get arguably the fastest player in football and an injection of elite-level play. They also get a world-class option for young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Here's what I wrote earlier about Hill's tenure with the Chiefs:
During his time in Kansas City, Hill has cemented his status as one of the premier receiving threats in all of football. In six seasons, the six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro has 6,630 receiving yards and 56 touchdowns. Not only does he boast arguably the best speed in all of football, but he's also fine-tuned his game and grown into a complete wide receiver. Hill is 28 years old and his contract expires following the conclusion of the 2022 campaign.
Per Hill's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, Miami is signing Hill to a four-year, $120 million extension that includes a whopping $72.2M guaranteed. Schefter adds that the $72.2M becomes fully guaranteed at the beginning of the 2023 league year. The rest of the contract is fully guaranteed at the time of signing. The Chiefs and Hill were unable to come to an agreement on a contract extension, and he now finds himself getting one of massive proportions down in Florida.
Did the Chiefs get enough in return for Tyreek Hill?
Jan 16, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman (17) and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (right) embrace following the AFC Wild Card playoff football game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Here's an initial reaction from Joshua Brisco of Arrowhead Report:
At first glance, this simply isn't enough for the Chiefs to have made this deal in anything less than dire circumstances. While their 2022 draft class now includes two first-round, two second-round, and two third-round picks, there's no way for the team to replace Hill in the short-term, and finding the "next Tyreek Hill" is a fool's errand. The Chiefs are going to look fundamentally different for years to come, and the team absolutely must have a grand slam of a draft class this April.
Without Hill in the fold, the pressure to replenish the receiver room is now on general manager Brett Veach. Kansas City has already lost wideouts Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson to free agency and while they weren't world-beaters, not having their production will certainly hurt the team to at least some degree. To counteract that a bit, JuJu Smith-Schuster was brought in on a one-year deal. As of the day of the trade, he now becomes the Chiefs' No. 1 wide receiver.
Mecole Hardman's role is also worth mentioning. The speedy wideout was given a chance to serve as the No. 2 wide receiver last year, but he didn't run away with the role. Perhaps if his new role is more closely aligned to what Hill's has been, he will find more success. Near the end of last season, Hardman's production increased as he was weaponized in different ways. It will be interesting to monitor how the entire depth chart shakes out, especially now that Veach has plenty of picks to work with.
This story is being updated.
