In the electrifying arena where speed is king and every fraction of a second can rewrite history, Noah Lyles stands tall. With a PB of 9.79 seconds, the reigning Olympic gold medalist stands as the Fastest Man on the Planet. At least for the moment. But challenging his undisputed reign was an unexpected challenger in the form of Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. Known for his cuts and breakneck bursts, Hill’s bold claim that he can beat Lyles didn’t fail to rile him up. But now the fans eager for some fast-paced action might finally get their due. But when?

After all, the obvious overlap between football and track is the measurable stuff. But the true gold lies in what can’t be measured. The confidence to compete with reckless abandon, the mental fortitude to overcome fear, and the ability to deliver in the clutch. That’s the mindset that has molded stars like Christian McCaffrey, whose training philosophy echoes that of elite sprinters.

His off-season grind follows track principles, something his father swore by, and it has paid off. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, known not just on the field but also on the Olympic stage, and DK Metcalf are among many NFL elites who didn’t just lift weights. Maybe it’s time strength coaches tapped into that same lane. And this point was put forth in the best place possible. Where, you ask?

Well, on the fierce new episode of the Ready Set Go podcast. There, Coach Mike Holloway joined Olympic gold medalist Justin Gatlin and sprint pundit Rodney Green for a candid conversation that took direct aim at a truth the football world can’t afford to ignore. “The one thing you can’t develop in the offseason is speed, right?” Green emphasized. “And that’s why they go to track.”

His point was simple but devastatingly effective: no matter how many drills you run or weights you lift, raw speed is forged in the crucible of sprint mechanics. Justin Gatlin added fuel to the fire, noting, “The speed of the game has increased — yeah, yes it has. And then you watch people who are the fastest football players in history, like Tyreek Hill, and he still does track workouts… starting blocks and everything.”

The best in the game aren’t shying away from track—they’re leaning into it. Coach Holloway then dropped the kind of real-world example that made the argument impossible to dismiss. He recalled a conversation with a consultant who had worked with the Carolina Panthers. “All the players came out to run their drills while the consultant observed. Then, after everyone left, Christian McCaffrey came out on his own and did a full sprint session—track-style.”

It left the consultant stunned. Why wasn’t the rest of the team following the fastest guy’s lead? That moment speaks volumes about how elite athletes think differently and how traditional strength programs might be missing the forest for the trees. That disconnect between track and football was front and center again when Noah Lyles sat down with Cam Newton on June 3, 2025.

Lyles peeled back the curtain on how unstructured and underappreciated the world of track and field still is. Even as it shapes some of the NFL’s most electric stars. He pointed to DK Metcalf’s entrance into a pro track meet, questioning the process. Lyles wasn’t throwing shade. He was spotlighting a double standard. His frustration highlighted just how overlooked sprinters are in their sport, even as their methods quietly build legends elsewhere.

When NFL speed meets Track lightning: The brewing showdown

The whole saga kicked off when Tyreek Hill, whose high school 100m time of 10.19 seconds might not seem earth-shattering next to Noah Lyles’ world-class sprinting, boldly declared on the Up & Adams Show that he’d leave Lyles in the dust. Lyles, cool and collected, dismissed Hill’s claims as nothing more than “chasing clout.” Still, the chatter refused to die down, with murmurs of a race swirling even before the Olympics.

After the Games, Hill’s pointed jabs only further fanned the flames, pushing Lyles to seriously consider a showdown. But what would drive a titan of track like Lyles to entertain a challenge from an NFL star? In a refreshingly candid moment on a podcast with Cam Newton, Lyles peeled back the curtain on his thoughts: “You know he’s going off after the Olympics… I knew that he’d do that because he does it every time some big news comes around… I’ve watched him do this for years. I’m just like, it’s old now.”

Yet, he made one thing clear: if Hill keeps dragging his name into the conversation, the race will happen. “If he ever puts my name in his mouth and running, we’re racing.” The sporting world is buzzing with anticipation as Hill, the NFL, gears up to put his speed to the ultimate test against the Olympic champion. Hill’s confidence remains unshaken as he prepares for a tune-up event in Los Angeles on June 13.

Not to mention a “trial race” to sharpen his speed against “some random guys.” Despite a quieter 2024 NFL season, the Miami Dolphins’ star receiver is laser-focused on this yet-to-be-finalized showdown. Determined to close the gap between his 10.19 high school best and Lyles’ blistering pace. The big question remains: will Hill’s leap into the track world pay off when he faces the fastest man alive?