The NFL’s shocking 2022 offseason struck again on March 23 when the Kansas City Chiefs sent superstar wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins.
In the end, Brett Veach received quite the haul of draft picks for the three-time All-Pro that began as a fifth-round selection, but the deal was still a bitter pill to swallow for fans. Hill’s departure — coupled with Tyrann Mathieu’s impending exit — could signal the end of an era in KC.
For better or for worse, that’s a sad thought after four straight AFC championship appearances and a Super Bowl title. That’s also exactly how Hill captioned his final farewell to Chiefs Kingdom.
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Tyreek Hill’s Message to Fans
“End of an era!!!” Hill tweeted. “Miami I’m coming home.” Below that, the ‘Cheetah’ talked about his long journey with the Chiefs organization, showing appreciation to all those that helped him along the way.
End of an era ✌🏿!!! Miami I’m coming home
It read:
TODAY STARTS A NEW BEGINNING. I’M VERY EXCITED TO BE JOINING THE MIAMI DOLPHINS AND GET TO WORK. HOWEVER IT’S HARD THINKING ABOUT THE MEMORIES, PEOPLE AND FANS THAT MADE MY TIME IN KANSAS CITY SO GREAT.
TO MY FAMILY AND ESPECIALLY MY KIDS, THANK YOU FOR BEING MY BIGGEST SUPPORTERS. DADDY LOVES YOU!
I’M GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO JOINED ME IN GIVING BACK TO THE KANSAS CITY COMMUNITY THROUGH THE TYREEK HILL FAMILY FOUNDATION. FROM COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS, YOUTH FOOTBALL CAMPS, FUNDING THE FIRST YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH NAVIGATOR AT MARILLAC, DONATING SUPPLIES TO THE HOMELESS AND VISITS WITH KIDS IN THE HOSPITAL, WE COULDN’T HAVE MADE THE IMPACT WITHOUT ALL OF YOU.
THANK YOU TO THE CHIEFS ORGANIZATION FOR BELIEVING IN ME. I’LL NEVER FORGET GETTING THE CALL IN 2016 THAT MY DREAM TO PLAY IN THE NFL WAS COMING TRUE. I WORKED HARD EVERY DAY TO SHOW MY APPRECIATION FOR YOU TAKING A CHANCE ON ME. TO COACH [Andy] REID, COACH [Eric] BIENIEMY AND COACH [Greg] LEWIS, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE TAUGHT ME NOT ONLY ABOUT FOOTBALL BUT ABOUT LIFE.
THANK YOU TO PAT [Mahomes], [Travis] KELCE, DEMARCUS [Robinson], AND [Gehrig] DIETER ALONG WITH ALL MY TEAMMATES. I’M PROUD TO HAVE TAKEN THE FIELD WITH EACH OF YOU. YOU ARE WHAT MADE EACH DAY WORTH IT. WE ARE BROTHERS FOR LIFE!
TO THE FANS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. PLAYING FOR YOU HAS BEEN ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS I HAVE DONE IN MY LIFE. YOUR ENERGY, PASSION AND LOYALTY FOR THE TEAM IS INDESCRIBABLE. IT WAS AN HONOR TO PLAY IN FRONT OF YOU.
KANSAS CITY WILL ALWAYS HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART!
CHEETAH OUT!
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Reid & Veach Send Their Regards, Address Trade
Head coach Andy Reid and the aforementioned Veach did release official statements on the big move.
The general manager stated: “It’s hard to put into words what Tyreek has meant to Chiefs Kingdom over the last six years. He’s a special player, one of the best in franchise history. He’s been a large part of our success, including our Super Bowl championship run. This decision was incredibly difficult, but we felt it was a necessary move in the best interest of the team, and also for Tyreek. We wish him the best as he continues his career.”
Reid then followed: “I am happy for Tyreek, he has grown as a man and player here in Kansas City. Myself, my staff and our organization appreciate all he did for our team. This move will also benefit the Chiefs, we now have cap space and additional draft picks to grow as a football team. I wish him well as he moves forward.”
It’s interesting that both stressed the importance of this decision when talking about the future of the Chiefs franchise. The pair now have cap space and draft capital to work with and it will be fascinating to see what they have in store this spring.
Teammates Say Goodbye to the Cheetah
We already shared some player reactions from earlier, but a few of Hill’s closest teammates took more time to find the right words — and some never truly did.
We are still waiting to hear from Mahomes himself, although Dieter — who was mentioned by name in Hill’s statement — did send some love. “Gonna miss you my brother,” he voiced. “Real one since day 1.”
Kelce shared a similar sentiment, adding: “Brothers for life!!”
Finally, for the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” fans out there, fellow-WR Mecole Hardman shared a GIF that really hit close to home.
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Tyreek Hill Sends Message to Fans as Chiefs Address Blockbuster Trade