KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt typically has a voice in most major trades involving his franchise, and that presumably includes the one that sent record-setting wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins for a package of draft picks early last year.
Hill was due for a big contract extension, and cash-strapped at the time, the Chiefs decided to send him to Miami, which also fulfilled his wishes. And while Hill has flourished alongside quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, helping to give the Dolphins the league’s No. 1 offense, the Chiefs used many of those picks to build the league’s No. 2-ranked pass and scoring defense.
“I think that was a trade that worked out well for both parties,” said Hunt, whose defending Super Bowl champions face Hill for the first time Sunday when the Chiefs (6-2) play the Dolphins (6-2) at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany.
“Tyreek is an incredible player and has done well with the Dolphins,” Hunt said, “but I also think it has benefited the Chiefs. The draft compensation we received — a lot of that capital was used to improve our defense.”
Still, given the way the Chiefs have struggled to find a reliable pass-catcher besides All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce, and the way that Hill is putting up numbers this season, nobody would quibble if Hunt had a bit of buyer’s remorse.
Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill (10) holds off New England Patriots CB Jack Jones (13) during game, Oct. 29, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
It was the Chiefs who gave him a chance in 2016, when many NFL teams would not touch him in the draft after his off-the-field problems in college. And it was with the Chiefs that Hill became one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers, going to the Pro Bowl six times, making three All-Pro teams and setting a slew of records while winning a Super Bowl ring.
Hill has been at his best in his second season with the Dolphins, though. He leads the NFL with 1,014 yards receiving, putting him on pace to become the first 2,000-yard receiver, while leading the league with eight touchdown receptions.
To put that in perspective, the entirety of the Chiefs’ wide receiver corps has combined for 1,185 yards and six touchdowns.
“It’s just another game,” Hill insisted. “It’s just like if you’re in high school and you move to a different city, it’s still ball. At the end of the day, my job is to go out there and do what I’ve been doing all year.”
The Chiefs had a few games during Hill’s tenure with them when opponents were to keep him under control, and perhaps coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo can lean on those experiences to contain him Sunday.
“He’s a great play. That’s the bottom line,” Reid said. “You might slow him down, but he’s going to make plays somewhere. That’s what makes him the player he is. He has speed, quickness and he’s smart.”
MAHOMES MISSING THE MARK
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was fighting the flu last week in Denver, then gashed his non-throwing hand, and ended up having one of his worst games in a 24-9 loss to their AFC West rival. He was 24 of 38 for 241 yards with no touchdowns and two picks, and the result was a quarterback rating of 59.2, the second-worst of his career.
DOMINATING DUO
Miami could have its starting cornerback duo of Xavien Howard and Jalen Ramsey for the first time this season. Ramsey, who was acquired from the Rams this past offseason, missed the first seven games while working back from a July knee surgery. He made his Dolphins debut last Sunday against New England and intercepted Mac Jones in the second quarter. Howard is dealing with a groin injury that kept him out the last two weeks, but he said Wednesday that he’s “ready to play now.”
TURNOVER TROUBLE
Along with the two interceptions that Mahomes threw last week, he also fumbled the ball away. Marquez Valdes-Scantling lost another fumble and Mecole Hardman, who recently returned to the Chiefs after a trade with the Jets, muffed a punt at the Chiefs 5. Reid lamented afterward that he couldn’t remember one of his teams turning the ball over five times in a game.
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (87) runs as Denver Broncos LB Josey Jewell (47) and S Justin Simmons (31) defend during game Oct. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
ROSTER RUNDOWN
Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead is eligible to come off injured reserve, while safety Jevon Holland is out of the concussion protocol and offensive guard Robert Hunt is day to day with a sore hamstring. Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon is dealing with a sore groin and linebacker Willie Gay Jr. a bruised lower back; they signed former linebacker Darius Harris off the Raiders’ practice squad in hopes he can help immediately given his knowledge of the Kansas City defense.
DIFFERING APPROACHES
The Dolphins flew overnight to Germany on Monday, giving them several days to get accustomed to the time difference and their surroundings. The Chiefs took a different approach, leaving after practice Thursday in an attempt to keep their weekly schedule as close to normal as possible. It’s the same approach that they took in London in 2015.
“The team has the opportunity to experience a different country and culture together. I think that’s a really cool opportunity,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. “I told the team that if you make a play in a game, there’s some kid that speaks German that is wearing your jersey for the rest of his adolescence. You have lifelong fans. That is kind of what happens in those type of environments. Their first exposure is you making this play, and that’s a really, really cool opportunity.”
___
AP Sports Writer Alanis Thames in Miami contributed to this report.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL