Getty Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
We already know a large factor that led to Tyreek Hill’s departure from the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason was money. But Hill recently detailed the contract negotiations he had with the Chiefs and is under fire because of it.
Speaking with Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay, Hill recently detailed what he asked of the Chiefs.
“I talked to coach Andy Reid and I told him I don’t need to be the highest-paid receiver, I just want to be taken care of and stay with my brothers Pat [Mahomes] & [Travis] Kelce,” Hill said in the video posted on December 12, a day after the Dolphins lost to the Los Angeles Chargers 23-17 on Sunday Night Football.
A little later in his discussion with Sharpe, Hill then went into detail about the money he wanted from Kansas City.
“I told them to match me with AJ Brown at $25M and I’m cool with that,” he continued. “They got the deal up to $25M but the guaranteed money wasn’t right. Miami calls and says they’ll go all out and I couldn’t turn it down.”
Why Hill’s Comments Don’t Add Up
The main reason what Hill said about his contract negotiations with the Chiefs doesn’t add up has to do with the timeline of events.
Hill was traded to Miami on March 23. Meanwhile, AJ Brown was traded from the Tennessee Titans to the Philadelphia Eagles on Day 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft, which was April 28. So, Hill couldn’t have asked the Chiefs to match Brown’s deal because Brown hadn’t even been traded, let alone reached a new deal with the Eagles yet.
This caused Hill to receive backlash on social media.
“He always wanted to be the lead dog on a team and it was never happening with Mahomes and Kelce. That’s fine,” one Twitter user wrote. “He’s making it weird with trying to make it about the Chiefs. KC was always good to him and sent him to the best possible place.”
@cdotharrison He always wanted to be the lead dog on a team and it was never happening with Mahomes and Kelce. That’s fine. He’s making it weird with trying to make it about the Chiefs. KC was always good to him and sent him to the best possible place.
“Yeah he keeps changing his story when he really just needs to say it was about getting more money than the Chiefs offered him. Period,” another user wrote.
@cdotharrison Yeah he keeps changing his story when he really just needs to say it was about getting more money than the Chiefs offered him. Period.
“Either way, he told the chiefs one thing, then left for another without every truly giving the chiefs a chance,” another user wrote. “Should be flat out illegal for him to basically be negotiating with the dolphins while he’s a chief.”
@cdotharrison either way, he told the chiefs one thing, then left for another without every truly giving the chiefs a chance. Should be flat out illegal for him to basically be negotiating with the dolphins while he’s a chief.
“Players lie/misrepresent contract negotiations to the media all the time to make themselves out to be the good guys, to keep fans on their side. Thats why unless you’re in the negotiating room you can never know what was truly offered,” another user wrote.
@cdotharrison Players lie/misrepresent contract negotiations to the media all the time to make themselves out to be the good guys, to keep fans on their side. Thats why unless you’re in the negotiating room you can never know what was truly offered.
Hill Having Career Year With Dolphins
Despite all the drama that still surrounds his departure from Kansas City, Hill is having one of his best seasons to date in the NFL.
Through 13 games, Hill has 100 catches on 139 targets for 1,460 receiving yards and 6 receiving touchdowns, per Pro Football Reference. In the loss to the Chargers in Week 14, Hill broke Miami’s single-season receiving yards record set by Mark Clayton in 1984 (1,389).
Hill is 12 catches and 20 yards away from setting career-highs in catches and receiving yards for a single season, which shows how truly special he is even without Patrick Mahomes throwing him the football.
Tyreek Hill, oh my god. Something new every week in this league.