The Chiefs would love to add a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver this offseason to help Patrick Mahomes mount another Super Bowl run. Former Kansas City pass-catcher Tyreek Hill just isn't that sort of player at this stage of his career.
The Dolphins elected to cut the five-time Pro Bowler rather than pay him $11 million for the upcoming season. The transaction predictably prompted some Chiefs fans on social media to suggest their favorite team should bring Hill back into the fold.
Inside Tyreek Hill's fit with the Chiefs
It's a nostalgic idea that GM Brett Veach and his staff would do well to avoid. Hill was the sort of wideout that could unlock things for Mahomes during his athletic prime. The reality is that Hill is no longer that kind of force as a 31-year-old who is rehabbing from a major leg injury this offseason.
Even if Hill does return to his diminished 2024 form, he is not the ideal style of receiver the Chiefs should be shopping for this offseason. They need a true, big-bodied X receiver who can help them keep the chains moving. The idea of players like Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy is that they can do the heavy lifting for Kansas City's offense as field stretchers. Their skills could be amplified by the presence of a true No. 1 on the outside who can threaten opposing secondaries.
Hill's numbers have dramatically decreased the last few years, thanks in large part due to injury. Were he as productive as his 2023 or 2024 form, the Dolphins would not have let him walk, no matter the $22 million salary cap break.
Season | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|
2023 | 1799 | 13 |
2024 | 959 | 6 |
2025 | 265 | 1 |
Tyreek Hill's off the field issues should scare off the Chiefs
The Chiefs are going to suffer from a ton of media scrutiny as Mahomes rehabs from injury this offseason. They do not need to add another potential distraction like Hill to the fold to take even more attention away from their performance on the field.
In the past year alone, the NFL investigated Hill for a domestic violence case. Hill's estranged wife, Keeta Vaccaro, alleged eight different counts of domestic violence from their relationship, with Hill has since denied. The events took place from 2024 until the day before Vaccaro filed for divorce. And this isn't the first time Hill has been accused of domestic violence. That all started back in 2014, when Hill was convicted of domestic assault on his then-pregnant girlfriend. That didn't stop the Chiefs from drafting him.
Things might be different if Hill was still an All-Pro. Potential Super Bowl contenders can overlook some off-the-field drama for those sorts of stars. Again, Hill lacks the on-field production to be worth the hassle for Kansas City at his diminished capacity.
What should the Kansas City Chiefs do to strengthen their wide receiving corps instead?
The Chiefs are not cleared from their need to strengthen their pass-catching options just because signing Hill isn't the right move. The aforementioned need for a true outside threaten must remain on Veach's offseason shopping list.
Unfortunately for Kansas City, they lack the financial flexibility required to land that sort of veteran. Their free agency cash is not sufficient to land any of top pass-catchers on the open market. Even trading for a disgruntled veteran like AJ Brown remains outside the team's grasp due to their lack of cap space.
That likely relegates the Chiefs to spending a mid-round pick on a receiver with solid length and untapped potential. The hope in Kansas City should be for that sort of rookie to round into playing form by the time the postseason rolls around. Anything more would be a major boost for a non-premium draft choice.