Former GM Mike Tannenbaum Has Wise Advice for Chiefs-Tyreek Reunion

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL and LCL in December. After one surgery, he’s fighting to rehabilitate his knee with hopes of a Week 1 return.

Tyreek Hill dislocated his kneecap and tore multiple ligaments in September. After his first surgery, he’s reportedly due for another. There’s no definitive timetable for his 2026 return.

Pay him for the present, not the past

So, if the Chiefs were to explore a reunion with the most prolific wide receiver of the Mahomes era, former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum has some advice for Brett Veach – or any team looking to sign Hill.

“One of the things that's really important from a front-office perspective,” Tannenbaum said on Tuesday’s edition of NFL Live, “and I've made this mistake in the past, is you want to pay a player for what they're going to do, not what they've done.”

mahomes, veac — Jul 26, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws a pass as general manager Brett Veach watches in the background during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

That wasn’t the only advice shared by Tannenbaum, who served as Jets GM from 2006-12 and headed the Dolphins’ football decisions from 2015-18. Tannenbaum, who cautioned that the Chiefs shouldn’t be intoxicated by Hill’s past explosiveness, said any team signing Hill should avoid a one-year contract.

“And what I would do is sign to a two-year deal,” he added. “Year 1 would be very minimal, with a lot of incentives. But I want to make sure I capture that second year, because it's probably gonna take him two years to get back to where he was, which is obviously one of the best in the league.

“It's a very serious injury … there could be another surgery. So, you want to proceed with caution. And again, try to get that second year, if at all possible, because you don't want to rehab and then have him go play someplace else in 2027.”

Another potential obstacle

Whether he plays anywhere might be complicated by another serious matter. According to Pro Football Talk, Hill is the subject of an ongoing investigation as part of the league’s personal-conduct policy.

And even if Hill is able to recover his speed, he’s also fighting history. The All-Pro receiver turns 32 on March 1 and “Elite wideouts just don't age well,” according to CBS Sports analyst Doug Clawson.

Clawson compared every wide receiver who’s reached 10,000 receiving yards and played his first NFL game since 2000. In that group, wideouts aged 25-29 averaged 89.8 receiving yards per contest. But those aged 30-34 averaged just 64.3.

Hill’s drop-off is even more striking. Over his age 25-29 seasons with Kansas City and Miami, including stellar campaigns over his first two seasons with the Dolphins (2022-23), Hill averaged 89.4 yards per game.

Since his 30th birthday, Hill over the past two seasons with Miami has averaged just 58.3.

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