Though many were surprised when Tyreek Hill chose to leave Kansas City in favor of a better contract in Miami, his former teammate, guard Trey Smith, said he completely understands Hill's motivation behind the move.
"Yeah, the coaches are gonna do what they think is best for the organization and for the team. And I can't blame Tyreek; he's getting paid," Smith said on the J-Mart and Ramon radio show, via the Kansas City Star. "I'll never blame a guy to get paid but he's got to do what's best for him. I'm really excited to see what he does in Miami, wishing him well."
Hill had been the jewel in the crown of the Chiefs' receiving corps for the first six years of his career, racking up 6,630 receiving yards and 56 touchdowns in that span and becoming a favorite target of quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
But after the 2021 season, Hill and the team couldn't find a resolution during contract extension discussions, as Hill was looking for a better deal than the Chiefs were willing to give him. So Kansas City gave him permission to seek a trade, which eventually resulted in the 28-year-old receiver heading to Miami, where the Dolphins gave him a four-year extension worth $120 million.
Smith said he completely understands Hill's reasoning behind joining a new team if it's willing to pay him what he believes he's worth. As many players in the league have acknowledged over the years during similar situations, football is a business in addition to a game, and everyone's just trying to give themselves the best shot to succeed.
Though Kansas City will have a big hole to fill in the offense with Hill gone, the team has already started to reload its receiving corps, signing JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling during the offseason. Smith said he has no doubt in the Chiefs front office's ability to find the players necessary to keep Kansas City in the conversation as one of the top teams in the league once again, even without their former star receiver.
"I think our front office does a fantastic job. I think we have one of the best front offices in the league," he said. "I think they did a fantastic job in the draft and really reloading so we're ready and set up, in a good position this year."
