There's one obvious reason why the Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill
The NFL is a game when it's all said and done. But even though it's a game, there are tons of machinations and nuances that come along with it. You don't want to oversimplify things on a frequent basis. However, there are certain situations that come up every now and then that don't require a […]
The NFL is a game when it's all said and done. But even though it's a game, there are tons of machinations and nuances that come along with it. You don't want to oversimplify things on a frequent basis.
However, there are certain situations that come up every now and then that don't require a ton of thought.
The Chiefs' decision to trade Tyreek Hill is one of those situations.
Kansas City made headlines Wednesday when it decided to ship its No. 1 receiver to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks. It's a massive deal considering Hill is one of the NFL's best wide receivers.
But why would the Chiefs trade Hill if he's one of the best receivers in the game?
The answer is easy: money.
By all accounts, it sounds like the Chiefs were willing to pay Hill a lot of money before they decided to trade him to Miami. But it wasn't enough money, at the end of the day.
Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the Dolphins are giving Hill a three-year, $75 million extension. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the entire deal works out to a four-year, $120 million contract. $72.2 million of that is guaranteed money.
The contract makes Hill the highest-paid wide receiver in the game. But what really stands out about the deal is when the guaranteed money kicks in.
Per Schefter, the $72.2 million becomes fully guaranteed at the start of the 2023 league year, but $52.535 million is guaranteed at signing.
Both numbers are significant for two reasons:
- The $52.535 million guaranteed at signing means Hill takes that cash home the moment pen hits paper. There is no way the NFL can take that away unless he does something to his own detriment.
- The $72.2 million guaranteed next year essentially means the money is already in Hill's pocket. Unless something goes horribly wrong, there is no way Miami cuts him before that money kicks in.
The Chiefs had close to $9 million in cap room before the trade. It's highly unlikely they could've matched the specifics of Miami's offer. Especially with contracts like Patrick Mahomes', Chris Jones', Travis Kelce's, and Frank Clark's still on the books.
Money is king in the NFL, but guaranteed money is god. And even though the Chiefs are losing their best playmaker not named Mahomes, it's easy to see why they made this decision.
Featured image via Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
