Account
Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes Says His Initial Reaction to Tyreek Hill Trade Was 'Shock'
April 18, 2022
The entire NFL offseason has been filled with surprises, and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes apparently felt some of the shock as well.
"My initial reaction was a little bit of shock," Mahomes said when asked about Kansas City's decision to trade wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks, per Harold R. Kuntz of Fox 4 Kansas City. "But you're happy for him."
Yet Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters he and general manager Brett Veach made sure to keep Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce in the loop as they went through the decision-making process of trading Hill.
While trading a player of Hill's caliber for so many draft picks would be seen as part of a rebuilding process or reset for many teams, that is not the case for the Chiefs.
After all, Kelce and Mahomes are arguably the top players in the league at their respective positions, and the team added wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling this offseason to help offset the loss of Hill.
Yet there will be an adjustment period for the entire offense, and Mahomes in particular.
There were a number of times when the quarterback would trust Hill to use his speed to beat defenders and create separation downfield, and the result was plenty of deep balls to the six-time Pro Bowler.
The Hill trade was just one of a number of moves that promise to shake up the AFC West race during the upcoming season.
The Denver Broncos added Russell Wilson, the Los Angeles Chargers acquired Khalil Mack, and the Las Vegas Raiders traded for Davante Adams, among other additions. Even if Hill were still on the roster, Kansas City's run of six straight division titles would be in some jeopardy given the influx of talent.
Still, it wouldn't be a shock if Mahomes finds a way to lead his team to another AFC West crown even without his prior go-to receiver.