Miami Dolphins four-time All Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill spoke with Brandon Marshall on the latest edition of I Am Athlete, explaining why he left the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2022 offseason.
Dolphins’ Star on Trade from KC
Hill was traded to the Dolphins from Kansas City in the 2022 offseason, where they then signed him to a four-year, $120M contract. He spent the first six years of his career with the Chiefs, and Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said that it was a trade that proved to be beneficial for both clubs.
“I think that was a trade that worked out well for both parties,” Hunt said on Tuesday. “Obviously, Tyreek is an incredible player and has done very well in his time with the Dolphins.”
Initially, Hill had requested a trade as a way to bait the Chiefs into giving him a contract. He never intended on leaving Kansas City and was shocked when it happened.
“The idea was never to leave KC, and that’s the first thing I told my agent by the way,” Hill said. “I got on the phone, he was like, ‘Reek, I’m gonna fly down to you tomorrow, we gonna talk about our plan of attack to how we gonna get you a new contract in KC.’
“And I was like look, as long as I don’t get traded, because we just lost in the AFC Championship. I’m just trying to get back at the Bengals, bro, it’s like ‘Okay, cool. We not gonna get traded, we just gonna get you a new deal.'”
Hill then goes on to say how both quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid had reached out to him saying the Chiefs are going to take care of things. He said he would be fine playing on a team-friendly deal as long as the money was right.
But the money seemed to be the thing that wasn’t agreeing with Hill and the Chiefs.
“So the Chiefs weren’t budging at all, that’s when you know I guess the trade began to come into Drew’s head. He was like, ‘Reek, we gonna get you traded for what you deserve.’
“I’m like, ‘What do I deserve?’ He’s like, ‘Bro, you deserve at least $70 million. I’ve been with you for four years now like and I see the potential.”
Hill also mentioned that he has a great relationship with his agent off the field. According to Hill, the Dolphins had called first and offered around $70 million, then the New York Jets had then offered $68 million and then later upped it to something near $76 million, though Hill did mention he wasn’t sure about the exact numbers.
The wide-receiver also talked about how he would trade himself to the Dolphins when he would play Madden, and how much he admired players like Dan Marino and legends who came out of the Miami franchise. But he also mentioned New York and how he’s a huge Adam Sandler fan.
A deciding factor in where to go? State taxes.
Hill said that after talking with his mother, who told him to remember the difference in state taxes, and how New York state taxes are probably ridiculous, so Miami it is.
“But then, you know, the more I began to talk, my mom was like, ‘Hey, you need to think about not only Adam Sandler, but you need to think about state taxes too’,” Hill said. “She’s like, ‘You go to Miami. Go to Miami like I’m gonna be on the beach. I’m gonna be living my life.'”
Hill said that he has no regrets signing with Miami, that everything happens for a reason.
“I think it was just one of those situations that you know, I just needed to be me, I just needed to be free. Let me show my personality that’s something my parents always taught me, and ever since I’ve been in Miami, I’ve been able to show my personality.”
Hill caught 119 passes for 1,710 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022 and has followed that up with 61 receptions for 1,014 yards and eight scores and is on pace to reach 2,000 yards this season.
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