The Chiefs' offense is going to look different in 2022 than it has in seasons past. Kansas City will be without its top receiver of the last handful of years, Tyreek Hill, after the team traded Malik Jackson Jersey him to the Dolphins in late March.
Unsurprisingly, Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes was kept in the loop about a potential Hill trade. He knew one was imminent at the time Hill was dealt. Still, that didn't stop Mahomes from feeling the impact of the Hill trade.
"My initial reaction was a little bit of shock,'' Mahomes told reporters Monday, per . "Even though you knew this was a po sibility, losing a guy Derek Barnett Jersey you had played with and built a friendship with over the last six years, it was definitely something you didn't want him to leave more for being able to hang out in the locker room and do Nick Foles Jersey that stuff more than the actual on-the-field stuff.
"But you're happy for him. Obviously, he got a great contract.He's back where he has a house in the offseason around a lot of his family and stuff like that. I wish the best for him."
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Mahomes and Hill's great relationship existed both off and on the field during their four seasons together as starters Andrew Sendejo Jersey . Hill averaged 97 catches, 1,375 yards and 12 touchdowns per 17 games played over that span as the Mahomes' No. 1 receiver. Hill made the Pro Bowl every year and was twice named first-team All-Pro.
So, why did the Chiefs move on from Hill? They couldn't afford to Jalen Mills Jersey keep him. Hill wanted big money as a part of the NFL's burgeoning receiver market. He got that in Miami, signing a four-year, $120 million extension with the Dolphins that made him the first receiver to NFL Philadelphia Eagles Jersey get more than $30 million annually. He also got $72.2 million guaranteed.
The Chiefs couldn't afford to pay Hill at that rate, as they already have a significant portion of their salary cap dedicated to Mahomes' 10-year, $450 million contract. As such, they opted to move on from Hill before his contract expired. He netted the team five draft Seth Joyner Jersey picks that it will use to help replace him and upgrade the team's overall depth.
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Of course, the departure of Hill along with those of Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson leaves some questions about the Chiefs' wide receiver room. They signed JuJu Smith-Schuster Philadelphia Eagles Jersey and Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency to help, but it remains to be seen whether they will be productive in Kansas City.
Mahomes is doing his part to make sure they play well. He met with his new pa s-catchers "as quickly as po sible" and tried to build chemistry to make sure that the Chiefs' offense would "keep rolling" in 2022. And he is confident that even Paul Worrilow Jersey without Hill, the Kansas City offense will still find an effective way to move the ball.
"We'll have to find production in different ways than we did last year because Tyreek was such a big part of our offense,'' Mahomes said. "I think you've seen in games when we haven't had Tyreek or we haven't had certain people other guys have stepped up and made plays happen, and I expect that to happen this year, Corey Clement Jersey as well.''
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