The partnership that the Kansas City Chiefs forged between Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill wasn’t always as smooth as the franchise might have hoped, but the on-field respect fostered between the two remains strong years after they parted ways.
Hill expressed that sentiment with a two-word message on social media Wednesday, September 9 as he marveled at his former quarterback’s ability to return from an ACL injury and start a game nine months later to the day, which Mahomes will do against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.
“Different man 🥹,” Hill captioned a repost of a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Mahomes is a go for Week 1.
Tyreek Hill Battling Back From Severe Knee Injury
Hill is battling an injury of his own, which he suffered almost three months before Mahomes sustained his.
The wideout tore his ACL and LCL in September, while also dislocating the knee. He continues working toward a return to the field, though Hill said in July that he was still a long way off from where he needed to be.
“So it’s about 10 months after doing two surgeries,” Hill explained, per the Associated Press. “My left leg is the one that I injured. I have no power in my left leg at all, so I’m trying to regain all the power back in my left leg.”
The wideout suffered the injury with the Miami Dolphins, though he is no longer a part of that organization after the rebuilding AFC East franchise released him over the offseason in the interest of clearing $22.8 million in salary cap space.
Tyreek Hill Sounds Nostalgic for Chiefs Days With Patrick Mahomes
If and when Hill is healthy enough to return to action, he should be a coveted pass-catcher in free agency upon which multiple teams might be interested in taking a one-year flyer.
Among those franchises could be Kansas City, as the Chiefs did not add to their WR room in any meaningful way this offseason beyond drafting rookie Cyrus Allen in Round 5.
Hill caught 479 passes for 6,630 yards and 56 TDs with the Chiefs, where he was also an elite kick returner early in his career. He and Mahomes captured a Super Bowl ring together following the 2019-20 season.
Over his 10-year NFL career, Hill’s greatest asset has been his speed and the deep threat it created. Coupled with Mahomes’ playmaking and tight end Travis Kelce working underneath that deep threat, the Chiefs fielded among the most feared offenses for several years in the early 2020s.
Hill’s age and injury, along with the passage of time for Kelce, might not render that trio nearly as effective as it once was — should they all find their way back together for a last hoorah of sorts in 2026.
Still, Kansas City may need more help in the pass game, and it appears as though Hill is feeling a bit nostalgic as the regular season kicks off Wednesday night.
Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes Gets 2-Word Message From Tyreek Hill Ahead of Broncos Game