There were a lot of Chiefs fans whistling through the graveyard on social media last night. I read a lot of “no big deal,” and “Andy will just find another one,” along with “Any fast guy will work in that offense.”
My responses to those statements, respectively? Wrong. Maybe. And wrong.
Losing Tyreek Hill is absolutely a big deal. Andy is versatile and adaptive, but this is gonna be a challenge. And, no, Hill is not just a “fast guy.”
Look, I understand why KC did this. It’s life in the NFL in 2022. The Chiefs couldn’t sign Hill to a fat extension because they were in Cap Hell, and the Dolphins made the Chiefs the proverbial offer they could not refuse. Five picks, including two in the top 50 of next month’s draft. Hill gets his bonanza, a four-year, $120 million dollar extension, 72 mill of which is guaranteed.
But don’t tell me the Chiefs will simply “reload.” There is no other artillery shell like Hill in the league. He’s not just a “fast guy.” He’s not just a “home run threat.” He’s also a chain mover, and has been almost as much a security blanket for Mahomes and Reid as Travis Kelce has been. I’d make the case that between his receiving, his kick returning and the way he draws coverage from other receivers, Hill is worth a touchdown per game, and that may be an underestimate. Don’t tell me this is no big deal. Hey, I love JuJu Smith-Schuster. But JuJu ain’t Tyreek Hill.
And now the Dolphins—the Miami Dolphins—may be becoming a very big deal indeed. They appear to be even more “all in” than the Rams were in ’21. Look at what they’ve done. Hill. Cedrick Wilson. OT Terron Armstead, who many considered the top freeagent available at any position. They also acquired RB Raheem Mostert, who was almost the Super Bowl MVP with the Niners three years ago and is once again extremely explosive.
The Dolphins are now better—way better—than the Patriots in the AFC East. And they may now be as good as the Bills. The question mark for me is Tua. I’m still not a believer, but the Dolphins have now given him as many weapons as a QB could want.
It feels like “cosmic justice” justice that CB Malcolm Butler is back with the Pats. His astounding interception to win Super Bowl XLIX over the Seahawks was one of the half dozen most memorable plays in SB history.
Happy to see veteran WR Robert Woods land with the Titans. Woods is a pro’s pro, and he’ll be a nice fit in Nashville. Mike Vrabel will know just exactly how to use him in that offense.
Wowzer. It seems like there’s been almost as much “free agency” among NFL broadcasting teams as there has been among the 32 franchises. I think this mobility is a good thing, even an exciting one. Buck and Aikman will bring some glitz and gravitas to MFF, and I’m very eager to see and hear Michaels and Herbstreit work together on the new Thursday Night package on Amazon Prime Video. That’s a dynamic pairing, and it will be interested to watch Herby do pro football on a regular basis.
But I’ll make this prediction confidently. The BEST of the NFL prime time teams will be Tirico and Collinsworth after we’ve been waitin’ all day for Sunday Night.
Dear Texas Tech Red Raiders. Please do it. That goes for you, too, Houston Cougars.
