Tyreek Hill talking in a press conference. ( Photo Courtesy: Barry Jackson, Miami Herald.)
In recent weeks, NFL has had some huge trades and news. The AFC West had blockbuster trades that included Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos, Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders, and Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers. The NFC made news with Aaron Rodgers staying with the Green Bay Packers after rumors for 2 years of him departing from Green Bay, and Tom Brady coming out of retirement after 2 months to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
One of the biggest trades in the AFC West included Tyreek Hill, the fastest wide receiver the NFL has seen in recent memory being traded from the Kansas City Chiefs, the team he played with for six seasons, to the Miami Dolphins. The trade shocked the NFL world, especially how it all played out in just 2 hours. Hill was the Chiefs’ star receiver and Patrick Mahomes’ main targeted receiver. Hill had 331 catches for 4,638 yards and 46 touchdowns in 58 games he played with Mahomes.
During the offseason, the Chiefs had to look at many things including planning for the future, their salary cap, whether to resign defensive safety Tyrann Matthieu, and extending Tyreek Hill. Two years ago, Patrick Mahomes became the highest paid quarterback in NFL history with a $450 million dollar extension with a $141 million dollar guarantee. This deal not only made Mahomes the highest paid quarterback but raised the issue for the Chiefs future and resigning players.
Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill celebrate a touchdown. (Photo Courtesy: Nick Schwartz, For The Win.)
Some experts say that Mahomes' contract was successful for the Chiefs, but was it? Mahomes is locked down for 10 plus years and there is no question if he is worth the amount. However, there are other things to consider about his contract. The NFL is strict regarding salary cap spending. The Chiefs had other huge superstars on their team and future salaries negotiations to consider. Tyreek Hill was one of those players. Hill could not only get his team a touchdown or yards, but he was also able to help the Chiefs reach a championship. Tyreek Hill deserves to be the highest paid receiver in football. However, this could not happen with him playing on the Chiefs because the contract of Patrick Mahomes affected the Chiefs roster.
Unfortunately, the salary cap of Kansas City prevents other star players from really looking at the team when they are almost a free agent or in free agency. They look to cities where they will be paid the money they want such as New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New England, Tampa Bay, and New Orleans. The Chiefs and most likely Patrick Mahomes understood how his salary could affect the team and their ability to keep and gain players that would keep them competitive for a championship.
Tyreek Hill’s trade did not happen because the Kansas Chiefs did not want him. It happened because it was about draft picks, freeing up salary cap space and the future of the Chiefs team. The Chiefs in the trade received from the Miami Dolphins a first round, second round, and fourth round picks in this year's 2022 NFL Draft. The Chiefs also received a fourth round and sixth round draft pick in 2023 and were able to move $70 million in cap space.
With Tyreek Hill, the Kansas City Chiefs had one of the strongest offenses in the NFL and the players on the team had great chemistry on and off the field. Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce is quoted in Forbes article as saying, “Tyreek is the best receiver I’ve ever seen play the game, man,” “and that’s without the ball in his hands and with the ball in his hands. He’s the ultimate fighter.” The Chiefs must now figure out how to overcome this trade knowing that the AFC West is now much tougher due to offseason trades made by other teams to acquire star quarterbacks, receivers, and defenders.
In the end, Tyreek Hill was traded and has become the highest paid NFL receiver of all time. The Hill trade should also be a wake-up call for team owners to have a strategy in place when it comes to salaries; especially for their star players and building their offense and defense. Otherwise, teams will have consequences to deal with for years to come. For the Miami Dolphins, it is time for Tyreek Hill to show why he is worth being the highest paid receiver in the NFL.
Have an opposing viewpoint to this opinion? Let us know. All views are welcomed. Send your thoughts to our Editorial Staff – Editor Katherine Montgomery kmontgomery2@student.dean.edu or Dean Daily Faculty Advisor, Professor John Rooke jrooke@dean.edu