Chiefs, Dolphins and Tyreek Hill Can All Win Big With This Trade
The Kansas City Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday. Hill is a six-time Pro Bowler coming off another extremely successful season, but when you have one of the best quarterbacks in the world and have to pay him like it, these things can happen. Hill wanted to get paid and the Chiefs felt they couldn't do it and maintain the flexibility required to keep competing for Super Bowls. So they apparently moved very quickly and flipped Hill to the Dolphins for a huge return in a trade that might not have any losers.
Before we get to the Chiefs, you have to admit that Tyreek Hill was a winner. He probably won't be in the AFC Championship Game next January, but the Dolphins did go 9-8 last season. Tua Tagovailoa is still young and could make a leap with a weapon like Hill to throw to for the first time in his career. Plus, Hill got paid. Seventy-two million guaranteed and he's going to live in Miami with no state income tax.
Dolphins are giving their new WR Tyreek Hill a 4-year, $120 million extension, including $72.2 million guaranteed, per @DrewJRosenhaus. pic.twitter.com/rkSWmAOOMt
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 23, 2022
Now for the Chiefs. They turned 28-year-old Tyreek Hill into 25-year-old JuJu Smith-Schuster. Smith-Schuster made a Pro Bowl in 2018. Two seasons ago he had 97 catches and 9 touchdowns. Last season he was injured and playing with ready-for-retirement Ben Roethlisberger.
Chiefs are trading six-time Pro-Bowl WR Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks: a 2022 1st-round pick (No. 29), a 2nd-round pick (No. 50) and a 4th-round pick, as well as 4th- and 6th-round picks in the 2023 draft, sources tell ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 23, 2022
So the Chiefs already have a replacement on their roster. Plus they have two top-50 picks in the NFL Draft next month. And another fourth-rounder. And two more picks next year. That's a pretty good return for any player. They can turn all those picks into reasonably priced young guys. All they have to do is hit on one of those picks. Plus they maintain ever-important cap flexibility
Only the Dolphins stand to lose in this deal if Hill doesn't click with Tua. Otherwise, everyone could be a winner.