The Kansas City Chiefs had bigger fish to fry than worry about beating the Denver Broncos in Week 18. They prioritized getting as healthy as possible for the postseason and rested 13 of their top players, including Patrick Mahomes. That left former Chiefs star Tyreek Hill and his new team, the Miami Dolphins, on the outside looking in of the playoffs.
Miami lost its Week 18 tilt against the New York Jets, but only after Hill was pulled from the game. Afterward, he unleashed his frustrations, including suggesting he wanted to be traded.
Hill finished the season short of 1,000 yards for the first time since the 2019 season.
Ex-Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill Turns Heads With Apparent Trade Demand
Former Chiefs Star Tyreek Hill Ready for Trade From Dolphins
Hill admitted losing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made the season “suck.” Still, Hill’s focus in the immediate aftermath of the season finale was on his future, leaving at a loss for a message.
“As a captain, it was a tough season. It sucks missing QB1 [Tagovailoa]. It really hurts a lot not having him. But Snoop [Tyler Huntley] did a great job of filling in whenever he learned the offense, getting us going. But whenever you’re missing your franchise player, it kind of suck,” Hill told reporters on January 5.
“I don’t even know, bro. This is my first time I haven’t been in the playoffs. So for me, like I said I just got to do what’s best for me and my family, dog. If that’s here or that’s wherever the case may be. I’m going to open that door for myself, dog. As I’m opening the door like, ‘I’m out,’ bro. So it was great playing here, but you know I – at the end of the day, bro, I got to do what’s best for my career and best – because I’m too much of a competitor to be just out there.”
Pressed for whether those comments meant he was requesting a trade, Hill replied, “Yes.”
Tyreek Hill, Mike McDaniel Give Conflicting Accounts
“All season, I’ve been dealing with a little issue. … So Coach [Mike McDaniel] kind of pulled me out,” Hill said, explaining the reason he did not return to the Dolphins’ loss to the Jets in Week 18.
“Just one of those issues, man, that, when you look up at the scoreboard, Chiefs are down, and it’s like, ‘Okay.’
As for his snapped 1,000-yard streak, Hill’s approach was que sera sera.
“It is what it is, man. It’s life,” Hill said. “I feel like at the end of the day, there’s a lot of things that I need to reassess about my career and just see what I need to do to continue to get better as a player, so I can continue to reach that 1,000-yard mark.”
However, McDaniel provided remarks to the contrary, instead suggesting Hill removed himself from the contest.
“I was informed that he was unavailable right before a drive,” McDaniel said, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio on January 5. “I was not informed that it was a new injury, and I think at that point of time my focus was on the players and I didn’t take the time to go and try and figure out more into that. There were guys on the field that were competing, and we were trying to win a game, so my focus was there.”
McDaniel essentially only reiterated the sentiment when pressed further.
Tyreek Hill’s Potentially Costly Decision
Hill’s early exit could have significant financial ramifications. Hill still has two more years on a three-year, $90 million contract extension he signed over the 2024 offseason.
“Hill’s apparent refusal to play on Sunday could trigger a contract showdown, which could allow the Dolphins to wipe out his remaining guarantees. It also could allow the Dolphins to pursue partial repayment of more than $24 million in signing bonus and roster bonus money received in 2024,” Florio wrote on January 6.
“The current deal could be traded, with or without the guarantees being voided. Would someone commit $29.65 million in cash to him for 2025? As one source with extensive personnel evaluation experience put it on Monday, he’s still worth that kind of money but he’s definitely not as good as he used to be.”
