Kansas City Chiefs wide receivers struggled with drops last season, creating an opportunity for a reunion between the team and WR Tyreek Hill.
Although the Kansas City Chiefs must focus on other problems and position groups during the offseason, addressing an issue that didn’t get much attention but plagued the team in 2025 should be deeply considered.
Running back, right tackle and defensive end are the three main position groups that must be addressed by General Manager Brett Veach, and the team is likely to address those needs primarily through the draft.
But something that didn’t get enough attention throughout the season is the number of drops by Chiefs receivers. Kansas City had 30 dropped passes, tied with the New York Jets for the third-most in the National Football League.
The thought coming into this season was that the Chiefs’ receiving room was the best that star quarterback Patrick Mahomes has had at his disposal, but that didn’t prove to be the case. While that group isn’t completely responsible for the offense’s struggles this past season, it did play a role.
Wide receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy are strong targets for Mahomes, and while other WRs like Tyquan Thornton and JuJu Smith-Schuster have been useful for the team in the past, reuniting with an elite-handed WR like Tyreek Hill on a cheap deal would revitalize Kansas City’s passing game.
The Miami Dolphins released Hill on Monday and the five-time All-Pro is now a free agent. He is rehabbing a knee injury that ended his 2025 season in Week 4 and it’s unclear if he will continue to play, but if he does, a reunion could be a good idea for both parties. Hill somewhat expressed interest in this idea prior to his release as well.
Without making cuts or restructuring contracts to save money, the Chiefs are more than $60 million over the salary cap, which will make it difficult to navigate free agency. There are several cut candidates that will save a good amount of money, like right tackle Jawaan Taylor, and numerous contracts that can be restructured like Mahomes’ or defensive tackle Chris Jones’.
At this stage in his career, Hill likely won’t require a large contract to return to where it all began. As a Chief, Hill won a Super Bowl, was a Pro Bowler in all six seasons and was selected to the All-Pro team three times before being traded to the Dolphins in 2022.
“After his trade from the Chiefs ahead of the 2022 season, Hill produced two consecutive seasons of 1,700-plus receiving yards, both of which came on 119 receptions, and in 2023 led the league with career highs in both yards (1,799) and receiving TDs (13),” NFL.com’s Bobby Kownack wrote Monday.
Hill showed some regression in 2024, but so did the entire Dolphins offense, so it wasn’t all on him and he still showed he has quickness like no other. Whether he returns from this injury like himself or at all remains to be seen, but bringing back a familiar target for Mahomes could bring back the championship vibes.