The Atlanta Falcons could have one of the better offenses in all of the NFL in 2026. But they could really become elite if they were to add Tyreek Hill.
The 32-year-old is currently a free agent and making his way back from a gruesome leg injury. He tore his ACL on Sept. 29 in what would be his final game with the Miami Dolphins.
Hill has recently been documenting his rehabilitation and has not yet been fully cleared. However, the assumption is that once he is, NFL teams will be interested.
CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell believes the Falcons should be one of those teams.
Tyreek Hill-Tua Tagovailoa Reunion Makes Sense for Falcons
It’s easy to see why Podell believes Atlanta is one of the best landing spots for the former All-Pro.
Outside of Drake London, the Falcons do not have a clear-cut WR2. There’s also the obvious Tua Tagovailoa connection.
“Hill could easily leapfrog Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus to be WR2 for the Atlanta Falcons behind only Drake London,” Podell wrote. “He also became the first player in NFL history with multiple 1,700-yard receiving seasons after his first two seasons catching passes from Tua Tagovailoa in 2022 and 2023, and Tagovailoa is now in Atlanta. Even if Michael Penix Jr. ends up starting the vast majority of the games, Hill has plenty of reps banked catching passes from a left-handed quarterback, thanks to his four seasons in Miami with Tagovailoa.”
Quarterback will continue to be a talking point for the Falcons until they fully establish who their starter is. But if Hill were to find himself in a Falcons uniform, it might become even more difficult for new head coach Kevin Stefanski to overlook Tagovailoa’s familiarity with the veteran receiver.
The connection between Tagovailoa and Hill was once among the NFL’s best.
In 2023, Tagovailoa earned Pro Bowl honors after throwing for 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns. Hill, also a Pro Bowler that season, recorded 1,799 receiving of those yards and 13 touchdowns. However, the two struggled to recreate that magic over the next two seasons, largely because injuries limited both players.
Chiefs Remain the Favorite for Tyreek Hill
Of course, the Falcons were not the only team mentioned by Podell.
The other landing spots he listed were the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Rams and a return to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The common belief is that Hill could ultimately end up back in Kansas City, where his NFL career began in 2016 after the Chiefs selected him in the fifth round with the No. 165 overall pick.
Whatever team signs Hill will likely do so on a short-term contract.
According to Spotrac, Hill’s current calculated market value is an average annual salary of $15.1 million, which projects to a two-year deal worth roughly $30.1 million.
Hill was entering the final year of his three-year, $90 million extension with the Dolphins before being released in February. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Miami avoided paying a guaranteed $11 million by moving on from the veteran wide receiver.
Following his release, Hill posted a message on Instagram that suggested he has no plans of slowing down.
“The Cheetah don’t slow down. Ever. So to everyone wondering what’s next… just wait on it. The Cheetah will be back…Born Again.”
Whether that comeback happens in Atlanta, Kansas City or somewhere else remains to be seen. But if Hill proves he can still be the explosive playmaker he was before the injury, there will be plenty of teams interested in finding out.
Falcons Get Intriguing Tyreek Hill-Tua Tagovailoa Reunion Pitch