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Tyreek Hill

Tyreek Hill Didn’t Consider Jets As Viable Destination

March 24th, 2022 at 3:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

It came out in the wake of the Tyreek Hill trade that the finalists to land the All-Pro wideout were the Jets and his eventual landing spot, the Dolphins. Since both teams had similarly-valued trade packages lined up, Hill’s destination became his own choice. It appears New York was never truly a serious consideration for him to continue his career in, however. 

When asked about the trade, Hill responded, “How close was I? Who? The Jets?… I knew I was going to pick Miami no matter what because I’m basically from here, I’m here all the time. This is home for me, for us” (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo).

The Douglas, Georgia native’s first opportunity to sign an extension actually would have come from New York, Garafolo adds (Twitter link). The Jets had a trade in place with Kansas City, then “went to work on a contract with Hill”. Once Miami became involved with their respective offer, however, Garafolo describes it as being “only a matter of time” before Hill became a Dolphin.

As ESPN’s Rich Cimini tweets, the Jets “knew it was a long shot” to land Hill, but they were eliminated from contention once Miami became an option for Hill to sign with. Part of the reason he did so – other than his personal connection to the city – may have to do with his on-field role. Garafolo’s colleague Cameron Wolfe reports (on Twitter) that new head coach Mike McDaniel may try to use him in a way that is “similar” to what he and Kyle Shanahan did with Deebo Samuel in San Francisco.

Overall, there were 12 teams with which “serious talks” took place regarding Hill (Twitter link via Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald). In the end, though, the league’s highest-paid wideout was able to secure not only a new contract, but also join his preferred new team in the process. The Jets, meanwhile, will move forward with the knowledge they were ultimately an also-ran in the process.

Chiefs Sign WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling

March 24th, 2022 at 2:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Barely a day after they traded Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins, the Chiefs will sign one of the top wide receivers remaining on the market. Marquez Valdes-Scantling is committing to Kansas City on a three-year deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Chiefs have since announced the move.

The former Packers deep threat agreed to terms on a three-year pact worth $30MM. The Packers still had hopes of re-signing MVS, but the four-year veteran will head to Missouri. Valdes-Scantling will receive $18MM guaranteed on a deal that can be worth up to $36MM. The Chiefs will save quite a bit of money with this receiver commitment, compared to what they would have paid Hill.

Kansas City offered Hill a contract that would have made him one of the league’s highest-paid receivers, but the sides did not progress. The difference in the Chiefs and Dolphins’ offers was notable, Drew Rosenhaus said (via the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, on Twitter). The Dolphins gave Hill a four-year, $120MM extension, one that is closer to three-year, $75MM deal.

Valdes-Scantling visited Kansas City on Wednesday, shortly after the news broke Hill was being granted permission to seek a trade. The former fifth-round pick will join a reconstructed Chiefs receiving corps, which houses JuJu Smith-Schuster as well. The Chiefs still have Mecole Hardman under contract but have dealt Hill and seen Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson find new teams in free agency.

The Packers hoped they could convince MVS to stay, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes, but multiple suitors emerged. As a result, Valdes-Scantling will shift to another MVP quarterback. Despite entering the league two years later, Valdes-Scantling is only a few months younger than Hill. The 27-year-old wideout also struggled with drops during his time in Wisconsin, but he showed considerable deep capabilities with Aaron Rodgers. It is fairly easy to see why the Chiefs targeted him, given Hill’s long-range importance in their Patrick Mahomes-keyed attack.

Valdes-Scantling led the NFL with 20.9 yards per catch in 2020, catching six touchdown passes that season. Last year, a hamstring injury and a COVID-19 contraction led to the South Florida alum missing seven games. He finished the season with just 26 receptions for 430 yards. Valdes-Scantling does not have a 1,000-yard season on his resume at the pro or college level, but the Chiefs are confident he will fill part of the void created by Hill’s sudden departure. The Packers, meanwhile, will continue to search for difference-makers for a receiving corps that looks like one of the NFL’s thinnest post-Davante Adams.

Chiefs Trade Tyreek Hill To Dolphins

March 23rd, 2022 at 6:54pm CST by Zachary Links

6:54pm: Like Adams’ Raiders contract, Hill’s deal being backloaded inflated the AAV. A nonguaranteed $43.9MM salary in 2026 bumped this contract over $30MM per year, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. Hill’s Miami extension is closer to a three-year deal worth $75MM. The Dolphins are giving Hill $52.5MM fully guaranteed at signing, and another $19.7MM — his 2024 base salary — will be guaranteed in March 2023. Like his lofty 2026 salary, Hill’s 2025 base ($21.8MM) is nonguaranteed. Even at $25MM per year, Hill’s contract compares favorably to Adams and Hopkins’ pacts for short-term value.

11:37am: It’s happening. On Wednesday, the Chiefs agreed to trade Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The deal will send a first-round pick and more to Kansas City, bringing one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers to Miami. 

The Dolphins will send a 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2022 fourth-round pick, 2023 fourth-round pick, and a 2023 sixth-round pick to Kansas City in the deal (Twitter link via PFT). It’s a haul that’s somewhat similar to the trade that moved Davante Adams to the Raiders.

Hill will also ink a contract extension that will position him as the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver, ahead of Adams, as agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Once finalized, it’ll be a four-year, $120MM megadeal with $72.2MM guaranteed (Twitter link). SI’s Albert Breer adds (on Twitter) that extension talks between Hill and the Chiefs broke down because he wanted to top Adams’ deal, something that Kansas City “balked at”.

The ink has barely dried on Adams’ contract, a five-year, $140MM whopper that gave him $28MM/year, $22.75MM guaranteed at signing, and $42.9MM in effective guarantees. DeAndre Hopkins previously held the mantle at $27MM/year, Adams topped Hopkins at $28MM, and Hill is now the king of the mountain with $30MM per annum.

The Dolphins are now armed with Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Cedrick Wilson, Devante Parker, and Trent Sherfield at wide receiver, giving them one of the most talented WR units in the NFL. That should be plenty to keep defenses honest against quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and open up more running opportunities for Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert, and Myles Gaskin.

The Jets were also in talks to acquire Hill this week, and they were willing to give up the No. 10 overall pick in a package for him (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). The Jets were also willing to give Hill a top-level extension, but, ultimately, the Dolphins had the winning bid. Schefter adds that New York made an offer of picks 35, 38 and 69 in exchange for Hill and No. 103 (Twitter link). He also states that the Chiefs were willing to accept it, had New York been Hill’s preferred destinaiton.

Kansas City, meanwhile, now has a massive hole to fill in their offense. Without the speed of Hill to serve as a compliment to Travis Kelce, their wide receiver room is in need of an addition. To that end, they already signed JuJu Smith-Schuster earlier in free agency, but his skillset is much different than Hill’s. Expected to target a wideout in this April’s draft as early as the first round (where the Chiefs now hold the 29th and 30th overall selections) before this trade, Kansas City now faces even more pressure to do so if they are to maintain their highly-productive passing game.

Chiefs To Trade Tyreek Hill?

March 23rd, 2022 at 10:22am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs have given Tyreek Hill permission to seek a trade (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero). Already, the Jets and Dolphins are engaged in “serious talks” to acquire the star wide receiver, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link). 

Hill, who turned 28 this week, was previously in extension talks with the Chiefs. As of this writing, he still has one more year to go on his three-year, $54MM deal. His next contract could very well come from another team. Multiple clubs have chatted with the Chiefs, Schefter hears (Twitter link), but the Dolphins and Jets currently stand as the frontrunners.

Clearly, the two sides had a bridge to gap in extension talks, but few expected Hill to be on the block. It’s yet another stunner in what has been a chaotic offseason. We’re hardly past the midway point in March, but Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, Davante Adams, Khalil Mack, Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz, Amari Cooper, and Yannick Ngakoue have all been traded. Depending on how things shake out, Hill could be the next superstar on the move.

The speedy wideout has teamed with Travis Kelce to form a top-end receiving duo for Patrick Mahomes. Teams limited Hill on deep routes this past year, dropping his yards-per-catch figure to 11.2, but he still managed career-high 111 receptions with 1,239 yards.

Beyond those two, the Chiefs haven’t gotten tremendous production out of their other targets. They’ve taken some steps to revamp their unit, including the recent additions of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Corey Coleman. Still, if you subtract Hill from the group, the Chiefs’ WR depth chart consists of Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman, Josh Gordon, Justin Watson, Cornell Powell, Dieter Gehrig, and Corey Coleman. If the Chiefs trade Hill, they’ll likely aim for a difference maker in the draft.

Despite his off-the-field controversies, Hill has been absolutely outstanding over the course of his career. Over the last six seasons, Hill has 479 catches, 6,630 receiving yards, and 56 touchdowns to his credit.

Chiefs, Tyreek Hill Discussing Extension

March 4th, 2022 at 4:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tyreek Hill‘s second round of off-field trouble led to the Chiefs signing him to a uniquely structured contract, one that protected the team in the event the star wideout encountered another issue. With the perennial Pro Bowler having avoided controversy in the years since, the sides are now discussing a new contract, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link).

The Chiefs went from being unsure the deep threat would be in their 2019 plans to reaching a three-year, $54MM agreement before that season. One season remains on that deal. Hill and the Chiefs’ negotiations on a third contract have transpired throughout this week, pointing to a new pact being in sight, and Rapoport adds this extension would be a more traditional contract. A new deal would reduce Hill’s 2022 cap number (currently $20.7MM) and arm the Chiefs with additional cap room.

Having fallen to the 2016 fifth round due to an ugly rap sheet, Hill became an integral part of the Chiefs’ first Patrick Mahomes-centered offense with an All-Pro season in 2018. Allegations of child abuse put Hill’s career in jeopardy in 2019. The NFL did not receive sufficient cooperation from a local district attorney’s office during its investigation and opted not to suspend Hill, and the all-time speed merchant continued his run as one of the league’s top receivers. It should now be expected Hill will become a $20MM-per-year player.

Hill, who turned 28 this week, has teamed with Travis Kelce to form a top-end receiving duo for Mahomes. The Chiefs have been unable to rely on their supporting cast during this period, but Mahomes’ top two targets have mostly made up for it. Teams moved to minimize Hill deep targets this past season, dropping his yards-per-catch figure to 11.2, but he still caught a career-high 111 passes and accumulated 1,239 yards.

Kansas City extended Kelce in 2020. Hill’s deal will likely settle in at the No. 3 spot among receivers, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com. DeAndre Hopkins‘ $27.25MM-AAV contract still an outlier, and Julio Jones‘ $22MM-per-year pact remains second among wideouts. Hill is looking at an extension worth around $21.25MM annually, Wilson notes, adding that more than $50MM in guarantees stand to come the Chiefs wideout’s way.

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/25-12/26/21

December 26th, 2021 at 11:05pm CST by Ely Allen

We’ve compiled a list of players who were placed on or activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Christmas and today. In some instances, players activated from the list remain on IR:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Steven Sims

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill Cleared To Play

December 25th, 2021 at 5:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs will have Tyreek Hill in uniform for tomorrow’s game against the Steelers (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). Meanwhile, they’re still awaiting word on tight end Travis Kelce, who has yet to be given the green light. 

The Chiefs have, for all intents and purposes, punched their ticket to the playoffs as well as the AFC West title. Still, they’re pushing to lock up a first-round bye over the next few weeks. A loss to the Steelers, coupled with a Pats win, would knock them out of the lead.

Hill, 27, has 102 catches for 1,178 yards and nine touchdowns through 14 games. Kelce’s also in the midst of a strong year with 83 catches for 1,066 yards and seven touchdowns. If he’s not cleared in time, this will mark his first missed game of the year and just his third missed game since 2014. If Kelce can’t go, the Chiefs will lean on backup tight ends Blake Bell and Noah Gray for blocking support.

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/21/21

December 21st, 2021 at 10:49pm CST by Ely Allen

Once again, we’ve had a busy day of moves on and off the reserve/COVID-19 list. Here are the players who were placed on the list or activated off of it today:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Dalton Keene (remains on IR)

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Washington Football Team

Chiefs Place WR Tyreek Hill On COVID-19 List

December 21st, 2021 at 2:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs are placing wide receiver Tyreek Hill, cornerback Rashad Fenton, and tight Blake Bell on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, according to Adam Teicher and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The team is expecting to add more players to the list and, as one source tells the duo, “It’s a mess.” 

[RELATED: Chiefs Place Kelce On Reserve/COVID-19 List]

The Chiefs have, for all intents and purposes, punched their ticket to the playoffs as well as the AFC West crown. Still, they’re pushing to lock up a first-round bye over the next few weeks. They currently lead the AFC with a 10-4 record but the Patriots (9-5) aren’t far behind.

Fortunately, the Chiefs have a ways to go between now and Sunday afternoon’s tilt against the Steelers. Any players who are vaccinated, asymptomatic, and able to pass another test will be able to play. They’ll be keeping their fingers crossed for Travis Kelce, Hill, and any other positives that emerge this week.

Hill, 27, is in the midst of another outstanding season with 102 catches for 1,178 yards and nine touchdowns through 14 games. Just last week, he torched the Chargers for a 12/148/1 line, so the Steelers could stand to benefit from his absence. They, too, are still playing for something at 7-6-1 — Five Thirty Eight gives them an 18% chance of making the playoffs with a 10% chance of taking the sardine-packed AFC North.

Tyreek Hill Avoids Major Hamstring Injury

November 20th, 2019 at 9:31am CST by Marc Delucchi

Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill may not miss any games with a hamstring injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Hill underwent an MRI and it revealed the injury is more similar to one that would make a team cautious during training camp, per Rapoport. Luckily for the Chiefs, their bye this week allows them to be extra careful with their star receiver and still have him back on the field for their next game.

Hill left Kansas City’s game against the Chargers on Monday Night Football and did not return. However, according to Rapoport, he tried to convince his coaches to put him back in. Luckily for the Chiefs, they managed to pull out a 24-17 victory despite the absence of one of their biggest weapons.

The Chiefs electric offense has worked around Hill’s absence in a few games this season, but is surely at its best with one of the best deep threats in football healthy. While he has played in just seven games this season (including his short appearance on Monday), Hill has still managed to amass 543 receiving yards on 33 receptions.

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