The Ideal Destination: Los Angeles Chargers
Before the Ladd McConkey hive comes at me for this one, take a second to see the vision. This would be infinitely preferable to the Chargers going out and drafting someone like Tetairoa McMillan or signing some big name in free agency like Tee Higgins. Both of those would presumably be long-term investments (think 3-4 years). If the Chargers add Hill, he could add a vertical dimension to the passing game (which isn’t McConkey’s role anyway) and be there for likely, at max, two seasons. Obviously there would be cap gymnastics to work out, and Quentin Johnston would likely be made as obsolete as he’s been in the Chargers offense in his career – but McConkey doesn’t profile exactly as a bona fide WR1 like the Puka Nacua’s and Brian Thomas Jr.’s of the world. Operating as a 1A and 1B in a Chargers offense predicated on the run should allow Herbert to be efficient and return Tyreek Hill, at the very least, to the low-WR1 ranks while maintaining McConkey as a strong WR2 start with every-week WR1 upside.
The Most Likely Destination: Miami Dolphins
Not to drop a wet towel on the flames of change for Tyreek Hill, but he just signed a huge three-year contract ahead of the 2024 season that locks him into Miami through the 2026 season – meaning he’s not slated to be a free agent until 2027. His $30M APY is also going to be a tough selling point for teams looking to pick up some big help at WR, especially given the fact that he’s coming off his worst season as a starter since his rookie year and will be the ripe age of 31 next year. Unless the Dolphins are willing to eat a good amount of the money on the deal or move their No. 1 wide receiver for pennies on the dollar (think the Cowboys and Amari Cooper back in 2022), it’s hard to imagine a scenario where Hill is feasibly moved out of Miami to an alternate destination. Emotions always run high at the end of a disappointing season, and it’s only been two says since the close of the regular season. It’s fun to play matchmaker when a premier talent like Hill is looking to be on the move, but I’m not going to put the cart before the horse and assume that just because he wants out of Miami that he’s ultimately going to have that request granted.
The Most Chaotic Destination: Kansas City Chiefs
Put Rashee Rice coming off a major knee injury, Xavier Worthy riding a hot streak to finish his rookie year, an aging but still-productive Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill returning to his old stomping grounds in the same receiving room, and what do you get? Besides hell for us fantasy analysts to try and sort out, you also get one of the most unpredictable collections of talent in the NFL – and from that unpredictable collection of talent would spring one of the most infuriating groups of players to decide between each week for fantasy football. The number of variables that would be at play in a prospective Chiefs receiving corps with Tyreek Hill back in it would be unfathomable; between aging veterans, potentially stunted growth in target share for Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown (maybe, if the Chiefs return him too?), and the Patrick Mahomes not being a stat God question, it would be utter chaos if Hill were to reunite with the team that drafted him. And for that reason, I don’t want to see Hill don the red and gold again in 2025.