Expert Analysis
12/18/24
6 min read
3 Offseason Trade Destinations For Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill
As if this season wasn't going bad enough for the Miami Dolphins, star wide receiver Tyreek Hill has found a way to add even more fuel to the fire.
In the midst of a disappointing Dolphins season where they are likely to miss the playoffs, Hill created a storm on social media after a vague tweet stating, "It's time for me to go, coach."
Hill has had one of the quietest seasons of his career, catching 67 passes for 805 yards and five touchdowns, averaging the lowest yards per reception since his rookie year at 12 YPC. He's also in the middle of a three-year, $90 million contract extension that would make him a free agent in 2027.
It would take a drastic move for the Dolphins to move on from Hill, but a trade isn't impossible. A post-June 1 trade would save Miami more than $12 million in cap space this offseason, but it would require a ton of draft capital for the Dolphins to be willing to move on from their No. 1 weapon.
A potential trade would be costly, but not in the realm of multiple first-round picks. A team would need to be willing to take on the remaining two years of Hill's contract for a 30-year-old receiver who could lose a step in the not-so-distant future. A trade package similar to or slightly more than what the New York Jets gave up for Davante Adams (a conditional third-round pick) would seem more realistic.
With that in mind, there are a handful of teams who could be willing to give up draft assets to acquire a vertical weapon like Hill.
Could Hill REunite With the Chiefs?
MAHOMES. TYREEK.
— NFL (@NFL) January 24, 2022
CHIEFS RETAKE THE LEAD. #NFLPlayoffs
📺: #BUFvsKC on CBS
📱: https://t.co/bCIjXIlFWh pic.twitter.com/QCPXcRYAT7
There's an outside chance that Hill could go back where it started to get the Chiefs offense back to its early Super Bowl years. However, that feels highly unlikely.
Draft capital aside, the Chiefs have to start tightening their belt in terms of the salary cap. They have just under $21 million in projected cap space for 2025, while Hill will count for $27 million against the cap next season. They also have some key free agents looking for extensions, including Trey Smith, Justin Reid, Charles Omenihu, and even Hollywood Brown, who they brought in this past offseason.
On top of all of that, the Chiefs are hopeful that Rashee Rice can be their established No. 1 receiver when healthy. He showed serious flashes of a breakout campaign before his knee injury, catching 29 passes for 288 yards and two scores in four games.
It's an exciting thought to see Patrick Mahomes reunite with Hill, but it's just not realistic.
Tyreek Hill Trade Packages
Las Vegas Raiders 
Dolphins receive: 2025 third-round pick, 2025 fifth-round pick
Raiders receive: WR Tyreek Hill
Assuming that the Las Vegas Raiders take Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft, they're going to want to surround him with as much talent as possible.
The Raiders offense features an ascending star tight end in Brock Bowers and a steady presence at receiver in Jakobi Meyers. However, the Raiders don't have an offensive weapon that can stretch the field vertically.
Sanders has thrived at the college level with the deep ball. According to Pro Football Focus, he has thrown 13 touchdowns with zero interceptions for a 133.0 passer rating when throwing 20-plus yards downfield this season. Hill hasn't had the opportunity to be nearly as consistent as a deep threat this season, with the Dolphins scheme focused on getting the ball out as fast as possible.
That Sanders-Hill connection could give the Raiders offense some much-needed juice. The Raiders have an extra third-round pick from the Adams trade, so they could afford to give up one of their third-round picks with an extra Day 3 selection on top of it to acquire a star receiver for their likely first-round quarterback.
Los Angeles Chargers
Dolphins receive: 2025 second-round pick
Chargers receive: WR Tyreek Hill
One of the biggest questions for the Los Angeles Chargers heading into the 2024 season was who Justin Herbert would throw to.
The good news for the Chargers is that they've found at least one long-term option, rookie Ladd McConkey. The former Georgia receiver has thrived for them, catching 63 passes for 875 yards and five touchdowns.
However, the Chargers still lack a reliable deep threat. Quentin Johnston has looked much better in his second NFL season, but he still has drop issues and fits more effectively as a traditional big-bodied "X" receiver. There's still time for him to cut down the drops, and his development suggests he can still be a starting-caliber player.
Adding Hill to a receiver room with Johnston and McConkey would give Herbert weapons with all kinds of different skill sets, opening up the passing game even more. Herbert has a rocket arm and is capable of hitting receivers in stride on deep balls, so giving him a speedster like Hill could put him in position for a breakout year in 2025.
Plus, the Chargers have plenty of financial flexibility and draft capital to get a deal done.
Arizona Cardinals
Dolphins receive: 2025 third-round pick, 2026 fourth-round pick
Cardinals receive: WR Tyreek Hill
It's time to let Kyler Murray cook.
The Arizona Cardinals have built a legitimate passing game around Murray, who can now throw to an ascending star tight end in Trey McBride and a top rookie wideout in Marvin Harrison Jr.
Greg Dortch and Michael Wilson are also intriguing depth options, but the best possible addition to this passing game would be one of the most dominant deep threats of the last decade.
Murray was lethal on deep balls during a two-year stretch in 2021 and 2020 with DeAndre Hopkins, throwing 18 touchdowns and three interceptions on passes 20-plus yards downfield over that span. However, his numbers have been much more modest since, and he's completing just 33.3 percent of his deep shots this season.
As talented as Arizona's playmakers are, the deep threat could have them all take an even bigger step forward, with defenses keying on a player like Hill. A trade this offseason could help the Cardinals leap the rest of the NFC West to be a sure-fire playoff contender in 2025.
