Kansas City’s wide receiver room took a massive hit during Sunday’s 30-27 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Rashee Rice left early with a hamstring strain, and Tyquan Thornton suffered a severe left ankle dislocation in the fourth quarter. With two key targets sidelined, rumors immediately started swirling about a potential reunion with free agent Tyreek Hill. When asked about bringing back their former star teammate, the Chiefs locker room did not hide their feelings.

“I have no idea (if that would happen), but it’d be pretty cool,” Patrick Mahomes said, per The Athletic’s Michael Silver. 

The Chiefs decided to trade Hill to the Dolphins for five draft picks in 2022. Yet, they are still not over the Hill fever. As the wide receiver is now negotiating with teams, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, already received a call from Andy Reid’s squad, as reported by Silver.

Months after Miami released Hill in February, marking his first stint as an NFL free agent, the positive update finally arrived. As he stayed on the shelf, waiting as a free agent, he kept his eyes on the Chiefs. The latest example was Tyquan Thornton sustaining a serious injury. He injured his left ankle during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, making him the most recent casualty in the Chiefs’ victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. The video started doing the rounds on the internet when Thornton’s foot was pointing in a different direction before he was carted off the field. 

“It doesn’t look good,” Reid said. That’s when Hill decided to stir the pot a little. “Hm,” he wrote on X. But fans were clever enough to pick up on the hints, given the same timing of the two incidents. 

During the same game, on the opening drive, Rice also exited the game. Reid announced after the game that Rashee Rice was sidelined for the remainder of the match due to a minor hamstring injury.

Given the stream of incidents happening back-to-back, Silver went on to connect with the players, trying to learn about their take on Hill’s potential return. 

“That’s out of my hands, but I know I’d love to have ‘The Cheetah’ back in this building,” Kelce said. “He’s a brother. He’s one of those people who, when he sets his mind to something, he usually delivers. You saw that with Miami, when all the haters were saying he couldn’t play and he went and had his best year. I’d be excited by what he could do (here).”

“I hope we do,” shared veteran defensive tackle Chris Jones.

After spending his first six seasons in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, Hill has plenty of familiarity with Reid and the Chiefs’ offense. He recorded 62 total touchdowns during that run, and that experience could help him settle back in quickly. 

However, no matter what, lately, doubts have started swirling around Hill’s potential. His 2025 season run came to an abrupt halt after he dislocated his left knee and tore a number of ligaments, including his ACL, in week 4. 

But the wide receiver has gradually reclaimed the trust. He posted videos regularly that showed him working out on a South Florida beach, showcasing his speed, quickness, and ability to change direction. On Monday, he posted another clip, this time working on his footwork and catching a football while wearing a helmet. “Smooth like butter,” Hill wrote on his Instagram story.

The Chiefs are expecting him to target a November return, and they have plenty of reasons to re-add him to the roster. 

The Numbers Behind a Potential Tyreek Hill Return

Ever since trading Hill in 2022, Kansas City has survived without a single 1,000-yard wide receiver on the roster. Andy Reid made up for it by leaning on short passes, tight end targets, and defensive battles, but the deep threat was always missing.

Now, with the AFC West race heating up and playoff seeding on the line, adding Hill gives Patrick Mahomes his ultimate cheat code back, turning broken plays into instant touchdowns when January football hits.

Even before his injury last season, Hill accounted for more than half of the Dolphins’ air yards at 53.5%. He hauled in three passes of at least 20 air yards, compared with four such receptions in 2024, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

The Dolphins saw him earn first-team All-Pro honors twice and make the Pro Bowl twice as he helped the team reach the playoffs on two occasions. Hill eclipsed 1,700 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons, 2022 and 2023, in Miami, adding 21 touchdowns.

If the Chiefs bring Hill aboard during the season, his contract could be a one-year incentive-laden deal. Kansas City entered Monday with just over $3 million in salary-cap room.

No matter what decision is made, Stephen A. Smith has already hyped up the Chiefs squad.

“If the Kansas City Chiefs get Tyreek Hill, and Tyreek Hill is at 80% (health), I didn’t say 100%, I said 80%, because that’s how special I think he is,” he said. “I am guaranteeing you that the Kansas City Chiefs gonna win the Super Bowl championship.”

Super Bowl or not, they are now excited for Cheetah to return.