Tyreek Hill calls Wes Welker overrated but joke gets lost on most fans

Trash-talking is a tradition dutifully upheld in the NFL, one that typically isn’t taken personally. It’s always gone on — whether on the field, through reporters, or on social media. Aside from a few saintly players like Larry Fitzgerald, it’s something nearly every NFL player partakes in. Sometimes, the nuanced context of artful trash-talking is lost on fans once it leaves the field, especially in the modern age of social media. 

When Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill recently poked fun at his coach, former NFL wide receiver Wes Welker, there were a lot of fans who weren’t in on the joke. 

Tyreek Hill takes playful jab at Wes Welker 

A social media post asked fans to name a player whose hype exceeded their talent, and Hill responded to the post by mentioning Welker. 

Hill reposted a meme on X that insinuates there’s a gap between the hype around Welker from the fans of his former team’s and Welker’s actual skills as a receiver. 

Hill’s post created a firestorm of angry fans coming to Welker’s defense. Throughout his career, Welker was considered to be one of the most underrated wide receivers in football throughout his career. 

Of course, Miami fans are well aware that the comment was made in jest. After all, Welker is the Dolphins wide receivers coach, and Hill has been known to joke around with his teammates and coaches in the past.

Welker played for five teams throughout his career, but he is mostly remembered for his time with the New England Patriots, where he became one of the forefathers of the modern slot receiver position. The role was previously either diminutive or underutilized, but it has evolved into a vital part of many offenses across the league.

Welker thrived as a slot receiver. From 2008 to 2012, he earned two first-team All-Pro honors and five consecutive Pro Bowl nods. During that span, he compiled 672 receptions for 7,459 yards and 37 touchdowns. Welker currently ranks No. 27 on the NFL’s all-time receptions list with 903 catches.

Wes Welker and Tyreek Hill have a great relationship

Additionally, Welker and Hill seem to have a great relationship and bond, which is evident by their past comments about each other.

According to Palm Beach Post’s Joe Schad, Welker said in November that Hill was better than Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss, who Welker played with from 2007 to 2010.

"Randy Moss was the best deep ball receiver in the game," Welker said. "Tyreek Hill runs the whole route tree. Name a route he can't run. How he approaches every day and every game is very impressive. That's where he separates himself."

Hill is hoping to build on a career-best 2023 season in which he led the league with 1,799 receiving yards while reeling in 13 receiving touchdowns. Hill already has something Welker and Moss never captured: a Super Bowl ring. Still, comparing Hill to Moss is an exaggeration.