Tyreek Hill left practice early on Thursday, but the injury isn’t major
The Chiefs speedster is as important to their offense as any skill position player outside of Patrick Mahomes, and the site of him limping off the practice field rightly had fans concerned. However, per head coach Andy Reid, there’s nothing to worry about in the long-term.
As players fully adjust to this season’s bizarre training camp schedule, which includes no preseason games and a rushed series of scrimmages leading up to a regular season we all hope happens without delay, we’ve already seen several key contributors go down with significant injuries. Hill, thankfully, does not appear to be one of them.
Andy Reid on Tyreek Hill: "It's not a big tear or anything like that.'' Said he expects Hill back to practice in a few days.
— Adam Teicher (@adamteicher) August 21, 2020
What would a Tyreek Hill injury mean to the Chiefs offense?
A Chiefs offense without Hill is still dangerous, but it takes their best overall playmaker and one of the top receivers in football off the field. Kansas City has a version of Tyreek Hill-lite in Mecole Hardman, but he’s still developing into the player the Chiefs think he can be in just his second year in the NFL. Hardman is an elite return specialist and a solid receiving option when used sparingly, but thrown into Hill’s shoes, he could be overwhelmed immediately.
Hill’s ability to transition from perceived one-trick pony — that trick being outrunning every defender in the NFL — to one of the better route-runners and overall receivers in the game isn’t documented enough. Just because he is fast doesn’t mean he fails to recognize some of the holes in his game, and he’s gotten a lot better in those departments. Hill’s hands are as reliable as they come, and the connection he’s formed with Mahomes to take advantage of holes in the defense is deadly.