On March 23, 2022, the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs shook up the NFL landscape with the Tyreek Hill trade.
The standout wide receiver was up for a sizable contract extension at the time, one the Chiefs could not justify giving him after signing a $450 million deal with superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City shipped him to the Dolphins for five selections across the 2022 and 2023 drafts.
Hill has since made his presence felt in Miami, while the Chiefs used the draft capital they received to add some impactful young players.
Let’s reflect on the trade that’s now a year and a half in the rearview.
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Tyreek Hill Trade Details
Here’s what the Chiefs received from the Dolphins in exchange for Hill.
The Chiefs received:
- 2022 first-round pick (part of trade to select CB Trent McDuffie)
- 2022 second-round pick (part of trade to select WR Skyy Moore)
- 2022 fourth-round pick (CB Joshua Williams)
- 2023 fourth-round pick (traded to eventually draft CB Chamarri Conner in Round 4)
- 2023 sixth-round pick (traded to eventually draft DT Keondre Coburn in Round 6)
The Dolphins received:
- WR Tyreek Hill
Why Did Kansas City Trade Hill?
Kansas City’s mammoth contract extension with Mahomes in 2020 began a domino effect that ultimately led them to send Hill elsewhere.
As Hill came up for an extension of his own in the final year of his contract in 2022, the Chiefs already had significant money tied to Mahomes. They ultimately appeared unwilling to give Hill the kind of money he desired after Davante Adams’ landmark contract reset the receiver market, perhaps at least in part due to the money already committed to Mahomes.
The monetary gap, along with Hill’s frustration at his changing role, ultimately made a split the best option for both sides.
“The only thing I care about is respect within the building,” Hill said in June on his podcast. “I want the head coach to know that on Sundays, that defenses fear Tyreek Hill. That’s what I want the head coach to know. And the head coach do know that, though. He know that without the Cheetah on the field, he know that, ‘Hey, Pat [Mahomes] you’re gonna have a long day today.'”
The deal has certainly worked out well for Miami so far. The Dolphins got a bona fide No. 1 option for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and had immediate benefits in 2022. Hill had the most productive season of his career, totaling 119 catches for 1,710 yards and seven touchdowns.
Tagovailoa benefited with his most productive season in completing 259 of 400 pass attempts for 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
Hill has continued that strong production through the first four games this season, recording 28 catches for 470 yards and four touchdowns.
Moving on from the star wideout has worked out well enough for the Chiefs as well. Free agent acquisitions Juju Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling combined to anchor the wide receivers room in 2022 with a combined 120 catches for 1,620 yards and five touchdowns as Kansas City went on to beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 57.
Moore and McDuffie also each saw significant playing time as rookies and key contributors to the Super Bowl run. McDuffie is tied for the team lead in tackles this season with 22, while Moore is one of several players with over 100 receiving yards through the first four games, as Mahomes has spread the ball around quite a bit.
Williams has already made four appearances, including one start, in the defensive backfield as a rookie this year, while Conner has also played in all four games with two starts, and Coburn has made one appearance thus far.
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Still, at a minimum, four of those five draft picks turning into significant contributors is about as good a return as Kansas City could hope for in the trade after parting with a talent like Hill.
All in all, both sides have benefited plenty from the blockbuster trade and stand as two of the AFC’s top contenders.