Their back-to-back Super Bowl wins aside, the Chiefs certainly have been a less explosive offense since trading Tyreek Hill. Kansas City had entered extension talks to retain the historically talented deep threat in early March of 2022, but after Davante Adams‘ Raiders deal raised Hill’s asking price, a quick trade to Miami transpired.
Hill has thrived in Miami, with the two first-team All-Pro nods he has secured post-trade almost definitely locking up his Hall of Fame case. He has said he wants to finish his career with the Dolphins. This has made his current quest for an updated contract more tricky and Hill removed one of the leverage plays he would have by insisting these negotiations not reach the point where another trade enters the equation.
“To be honest, I have no idea,” Hill said (via ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Beasley) regarding his contract status. “Obviously, I let Drew [Rosenhaus] and the team handle that situation. The only thing I told Drew was, ‘Do not get me traded, bro.’ Last time you did this, you got me traded. That’s been my only thing to him. I want to stay here in Miami.”
The Chiefs had Hill tied to an $18M-per-year contract, one with team protections due to the wideout’s turbulent past, from 2019 until March 2022. Adams landing his $28M-per-year Raiders accord moved Hill to ask for a deal in that neighborhood, though the speed merchant said at the time he was not mandating he become the NFL’s highest-paid receiver. The Dolphins made Hill the position’s kingpin by authorizing a four-year, $120M extension; that deal kept Hill atop the WR salary list until Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson eclipsed his $30M AAV this offseason.
The structure of Hill and Adams’ contracts point to their respective teams moving on or revising the deals, as lofty base salaries that likely will not be paid out are in place. Hill’s 2026 salary (a non-guaranteed $43.9M) effectively makes 2025 a contract year and he has sought better terms — potentially a new deal altogether — since last season ended. Hill’s 3,509 receiving yards since 2022 lead the NFL by more than 400 yards and his impact on Tua Tagovailoa‘s trajectory has been undeniable.
As the 2022 Xavien Howard redo showed, the Dolphins have a precedent in place for renegotiating with a player that had three years left on his contract. Hill’s deal running through 2026, along with his desire to stay in Miami, gives Chris Grier some ammo in the event the veteran GM does not want to provide a raise to a player locked in for three seasons. While Tagovailoa looms as Miami’s top priority, the team paying Jaylen Waddle does point to some type of adjustment to Hill’s contract commencing. But the timeline here is murky.
