As the Miami Dolphins staggered off the field following a season-ending, 32-20 loss to the lowly New York Jets in Week 18, it took however long until All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill got the first microphone in his face for the trade rumors to start.
That’s because Hill, arguably the NFL’s most dynamic wide receiver over the last decade, began pouring gasoline on the fire from the moment he started talking.
“I’m out. It was great playing here, but at the end of the day, I gotta do what’s best for my career, because I’m too much of a competitor to be just out there,” Hill told reporters.
While Hill still has a staggering $54.6 million left on his current contract over the next 2 seasons, don’t think teams won’t be kicking the tires and what it might cost to acquire the 6-time NFL All-Pro — a group that Bleacher Report’s Zach Bachar thinks could include the Denver Broncos.
“After clinching a playoff spot for the first time since the 2015 season, the Denver Broncos could rise to contending status by acquiring Hill,” Bachar wrote. ” … If Denver wants to compete with the Chiefs for the No. 1 spot in the division moving forward, acquiring a speedy option such as Hill to take the top off opposing defenses would help.”
Tracking Hill’s Decade of NFL Dominance
Hill has been one of the NFL’s most electric players since the Kansas City Chiefs drafted him in the fifth round (No. 165 overall) out of NCAA Division II West Alabama in the 2016 NFL draft.
Hill began his career by making 8 consecutive Pro Bowl appearances and as a 6-time NFL All-Pro, culminating in the 2023 season, when he led the NFL with 1,799 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns on 119 receptions and came up just short of the NFL’s receiving triple crown.
He’s also been a winner. Hill was one of the heroes of the Chiefs’ run to the Super Bowl following the 2019 season and 2024 was not only the first season he missed the Pro Bowl, but also the first season he played on a team that missed the postseason.
Hill’s 2024 was, by all accounts, the worst season of his pro career. He not only saw his streak of 4 consecutive seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards come to an end he saw his production almost cut in half with 81 receptions for 959 yards and 6 touchdowns in 17 games.
Calculating What Hill Might Cost Broncos in Trade
Looking at what Hill would cost the Broncos in terms of finances shows he would eat up a good chunk of their $60 million in estimated salary cap space available in 2025, when he’s due $28.6 million, but becomes almost more manageable in the final year of his deal in 2026, when he’s due $36 million but the Broncos’ salary cap space shoots up to an estimated $137.2 million.
The real damage to the Broncos in getting Hill would be what he might cost in a trade, which we have some idea of what the damage might be in that regard. In March 2022, the Dolphins sent the Chiefs their 2022 first round pick, second round pick and fourth round pick along with their 2023 fourth round pick and sixth round pick in exchange for Hill, who they signed to a 4-year, $120 million contract extension.
Hill’s contract was reworked into a 3-year, $90 million contract extension before the 2024 season.
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Broncos Predicted as Trade Destination for $120 Million All-Pro WR