Hill felt underutilized with Chiefs before trade to Dolphins
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill opened up about the circumstances that led to his trade from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Miami Dolphins.
"There was a lot of times during the year that we felt that Tyreek was underutilized and wasn't fully appreciated and that they really weren't taking full advantage of all his ability and talent," Hill's agent Drew Rosenhaus said on his client's "It Needed To Be Said" podcast.
Hill pointed out that inconsistency with targets throughout the season was among multiple factors that contributed to his departure from Kansas City.
"If teams are gonna give us favorable one-on-one matches against their best corner, I don't see why teams don't utilize their best receiver," Hill said.
"Tyreek wanted to be there," Rosenhaus added. "Tyreek wanted to be in Kansas City. We tried to do an extension with them."
The former fifth-round receiver says he was willing to return to the Chiefs on a deal that averaged $25 million to $26 million in annual salary, but the Chiefs weren't willing to negotiate near those numbers.
Hill, a three-time All-Pro, racked up a career-high 111 receptions with 1,239 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021. After the season, Hill informed the team that he would like to remain with the franchise. However, the club was "millions of dollars short" when it came to offering guaranteed money, according to Rosenhaus.
Hill was ultimately dealt to Miami in exchange for five draft picks, including a 2022 first-round selection. The six-time Pro Bowl wideout then signed a four-year, $120-million extension with the Dolphins that included $72.2 million in guarantees.
The Chiefs opted to move on by signing veterans JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to pair with All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce.
Miami, meanwhile, added a versatile weapon in Hill to its passing attack that features Jaylen Waddle and Cedrick Wilson. Hill also offered high praise for his new quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, saying he's more accurate than former teammate Patrick Mahomes.
"Obviously, like I'm gonna go with 15 (Mahomes) as the strongest arm, but as far as accuracy-wise, I'm going with Tua all day."
Copyright (C) 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.