The Kansas City Chiefs traded six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Tyrek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks: the 2022 first-round pick (No. 29), the second-round pick (No. 50) and the fourth-round pick, plus the fourth. — and the sixth round of picks in the 2023 draft on Wednesday.
The trade is pending a physical one, the Dolphins said.
The Dolphins are also offering Hill a four-year, $120 million extension, including a $72.2 million guarantee and $52.535 million upon signing, agent Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN.
The deal makes Hill the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history. A total of $72.2 million is fully guaranteed at the start of the 2023 league year. The three-year total of the deal is $72.5 million.
For Hill, who was already under contract for the 2022 season, the total value of the deal -- including $120 million in new money -- is $141.685 million. It also includes $250,000 in Pro Bowl incentives each season.
According to sources, both the New York Jets and the Dolphins traded places for Hill. The question became whether Hill wanted to be the wide receiver with a record-breaking deal.
The Jets' trade offer for the Hill Chiefs - which Kansas City would have accepted if the wide receiver had opted for New York - did not include a first-round pick, but rather a number of picks that were in line with the Dolphins' offer. Sources told ESPN that on a draft value chart used by the teams. The Chiefs would have got the likes of 35, 38 and 69, while the Jets would have picked Hill and No. 103.
Davante Adams was the highest paid wide receiver for a week after signing a five-year contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, which includes an average of $28 million per season and a fully guaranteed $65.67 million.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Hill wrote: "Today is a fresh start. I'm so excited to join the Miami Dolphins and get back to work, although it's hard to think of the memories, people and fans who have made it through." My time in Kansas made the city great."
He also thanked those involved in giving back to the community in Kansas City through his foundation and thanked the Chiefs "for believing in me."
“I worked hard every day to show my appreciation for giving you the opportunity. Coach (Andy Reid), coach (Eric) Bienemy and coach (Greg) Lewis, for what you taught me not only about football Thank you. About life," he wrote.
Finally, he ended his message by thanking his now former Chiefs teammates and fans, writing, "Kansas City will always hold a special place in my heart!"
The Dolphins' chances of winning the Super Bowl at Kaiser Sportsbook improved from 70-1 to 40-1 with the trade. His chances of winning AFC increased from 35-1 to 20-1 and AFC East from +675 to +400.
It is the second major move by the Dolphins to boost their offense this week, which will be set up by new head coach Mike McDaniel. On Tuesday, the Dolphins agreed a five-year deal with lefty Taron Armstead that is worth $87.5 million, a source told ESPN, severing the services of one of the top free agents of the 2022 cycle. That deal includes $43.37 million in guaranteed money, the source said.
Dolphins' assistant general manager Marvin Allen was principal director of College Scouting from 2013 to 2017, when Kansas City drafted Hill.
The addition of Hill gives Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa a real No. 1 wide receiver to aid in his development. The Dolphins also added wide receiver Cedric Wilson in free agency and dynamic wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who had 104 receptions for 1,015 yards and six touchdowns in his rookie season. The Dolphins also return tight end Mike Gesicki, who received the franchise tag and was second on the team with 73 receptions and 780 yards.
The Dolphins have also added two new running backs in free agency, Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostart.
Hill, who has been selected to the Pro Bowl in all six seasons of his NFL career, had a career-best and a franchise-record 111 receptions for 1,239 yards and nine touchdowns last season.
He made 479 receptions for 6,630 yards and 56 touchdowns in his career. According to ESPN Stats and Information Research, he is one of four players in each of his first six NFL seasons with at least six touchdown catches since 1970. The others are Randy Moss, Larry Fitzgerald and Marvin Harrison.
The Chiefs drafted Hill in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, a year after he pleaded guilty to domestic abuse as part of a plea agreement and was given three years' probation. In December 2014, Hill was accused of strangling and punching his pregnant girlfriend. He was fired from the football team at Oklahoma State and eventually relocated to West Alabama.
Then, in March 2019, Overland Park (Kansas) police were called to Hill's home to investigate an alleged battery in which a juvenile was the victim. Hill was not listed in the police report. Hill's fiancée, Crystal Espinal, was listed under "others involved". The Johnson County (Kansas) district attorney's office, however, announced in August 2019 that it declined to file charges against Hill or Espinal. District Attorney Stephen M. Howe said that although he believes a crime has occurred, the evidence in this case does not clearly establish who committed it.
The Chiefs' wide receiver corps now includes free-agents in addition to JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman, Josh Gordon, Justin Watson, Cornell Powell, Gehrig Dieter and Corey Coleman.
The chiefs are still expected to add free agency and wide receivers to the draft.
"It is difficult to put into words what Tyreek has meant to the Kingdom of Chiefs over the past six years," Chief General Manager Brett Veitch said in a statement. "He's a special player, one of the best in franchise history. He's been a big part of our success, including our Super Bowl championship run. This decision was incredibly difficult, but we thought it was the best." It was a necessary step in the interest of the team, and also for Tyrek. We wish him the very best of luck in his career."
Reid said in a statement that he was delighted for Hill.
"I am delighted for Tyrek as he has grown into a man and player here in Kansas City," Reid said in a statement. “I, my employees and our organization appreciate all the work we have done for our team. The Chiefs will also benefit from this move, now that we have the cap space and additional draft picks to grow as a football team . I wish him the best of luck."
According to ESPN Stats and Information Research, since Patrick Mahomes became the Chiefs' starting quarterback in 2018, he tied with Hill for 41 touchdowns, the second-most by a QB-receiver pair in that time.
With the exception of tight end Travis Kelce, 32, who signed a four-year extension in 2020, the Chiefs all big-money contracts went to players in their mid-20s since Veitch became the team's general manager. .
The Chiefs' chances in the Caesars Sportsbook to win the Super Bowl increased from +850 to +900. His odds of winning AFC are now +400 to +500, and his odds of winning AFC West are now +130 to +175.