The Kansas City Chiefs need to add a pass-catcher perhaps more than any player at any other position, and one reporter asserted this week that a reunion with wide receiver Tyreek Hill is a distinct possibility — only it might happen on a less than ideal timeline.
Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports wrote July 13 that while Hill continues to rehabilitate from a serious injury he sustained last September, it “remains possible” that the Chiefs will bring back the eight-time Pro Bowler at some point during the upcoming campaign.
“I’ve maintained that some sort of reunion between Hill and the Chiefs could materialize around or after the NFL trade deadline, or as Kansas City approaches the postseason,” Goldman wrote. “That scenario depends on the team’s situation at wide receiver and how healthy and successful the position group proves to be throughout the year.”
Several Injury Questions Remain Around Ex-Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill
GettyFormer Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Hill dislocated his knee and tore his ACL in Week 4 last season. Not only is he still a free agent, but there is no evidence that he has done any actual drill work, according to Goldman.
Until evidence emerges that Hill can get on a football field and operate as a functioning part of an offense, there is little to discuss. But based on the generally established return timelines for serious — though common — injuries, he will presumably attain the requisite level of health soon enough to play again at some point this year.
The question is whether Hill will be anywhere near the explosive, big-play threat that made him one of the league’s most dangerous pass-catchers for several consecutive years. An answer to that, unfortunately, could be more than a full season away.
Hill’s injury was gruesome and incredibly serious. That said, the worst injury for any player in any sport to sustain might still be an Achilles tear. Both Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins before him struggled to return to their previous form the year following that injury, though both did ultimately come back and play. However, a full season removed from the year in which they tore their respective Achilles tendons saw both quarterbacks look more like themselves.
Hill didn’t tear his Achilles, but he also plays a position that is far more physically demanding on the lower body than that of QB and requires a higher degree of down-to-down athleticism.
Given the seriousness analysts have ascribed to Hill’s knee dislocation and ACL tear, which occurred less than 10 months ago, it is fair to wonder how quickly he might rebound.
Tyreek Hill Not Worth Big Money on Multiyear Contract Due to Risk He Presents
GettyWide receiver Tyreek Hill, formerly of the Miami Dolphins.
That Hill might not be back to the best post-injury version of himself, whatever that will be, by his return to action in 2026 (assuming a return materializes) is another complication to his free agency.
It is an even bigger deal for a team like Kansas City than it might be to others given the Chiefs’ compete-now timeline mandated by the prime years of three-time champion quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
If Hill is willing to play for a league minimum deal, or a pro-rated contract worth $5 or $6 million total, then Kansas City should have minimal concerns taking a flier on him. But Hill has earned at least $15 million in each of the past six seasons, including an average take-home figure of approximately $26.5 million over the last four-year stretch.
Spotrac projects his market value at just north of $30 million total over a new two-year contract, which reads like well beyond a reasonable risk for the Chiefs at this point in Hill’s rehabilitation process.
Matt Okada of NFL.com wrote Friday that wide receiver is Kansas City’s biggest remaining roster need, even more so than offensive tackle. However, Hill’s risk-reward profile is not ideal for the Chiefs until they know exactly the type of player they will be getting and at what cost.
“Rashee Rice is great out of the slot when he’s available,” Okada wrote. “Xavier Worthy is good for a couple big plays a year but has yet to find consistent production. After that, the depth chart falls off quickly.”
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