Judging by their performances through the first two weeks of the 2026 NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs may need no fixing. They are 2-0 and playing as smart football as any team in the league. Still, Patrick Mahomes has already delivered a warning for the Chiefs, and it sure looks like they are missing something. And that might just be Tyreek Hill.
It’s been a long time since Hill called Kansas City and Arrowhead Stadium home in the NFL, but it still feels like yesterday when Mahomes was slinging the pigskin and, wherever he threw, Hill was there. Hill has gone on to say some things that raised eyebrows and have stuck with the Chiefs, including statements about his teammates in Miami that appeared to belittle Mahomes and his friends back in Missouri. As fun as Hill’s time in South Florida was, he will always be remembered as a Chief first and a Dolphin second.
After some time away and fighting his own battle to recover from a devastating, career-threatening knee injury, it might be time to come home. Of course, that’s not Tyreek’s call to make, but reports suggest Kansas City is seriously considering a reunion, and it’s only a matter of time before Andy Reid gives the sign to dial Hill’s number. In fact, the San Francisco 49ers have been ruled out as a potential suitor, with Hill expected to reunite with the Chiefs.
“With Kansas City, it feels inevitable that there’s going to be a conversation at some point,” Mike Garafolo reported on the market around Tyreek Hill, who remains an unrestricted free agent, via NFL Network. “There’s nothing on the front burner, but there’s got to be somewhere on the back burner.”
Tyreek Hill while playing for the Chiefs.
Is Tyreek Hill a good fit for the Chiefs?
The obvious answer would be yes. It’s Hill we’re speaking of. He put up 479 catches for 6,630 receiving yards and 67 touchdowns throughout his time with the Chiefs and built a connection with Mahomes that no other receiver not named Travis Kelce ever did. However, 2026 Tyreek Hill may not be the same as he was before. And we don’t even know whether Hill will play this year at all.
Indeed, he looks great in the videos he posts on social media, working out and going through drills, but will that translate to the field once he puts on the pads and actually faces the elite competitors in the NFL?
More importantly, is Hill really healthy in a sustainable way, where he isn’t one unfortunate play away from having to call it a career? Those are all tough questions, but the Chiefs, or any team that looks into Hill, will need answers to them.
Away from that deeper level, where really it’s all uncertainty because there’s no way of telling the future and whether Hill may re-injure his left knee, there are questions around what kind of player Tyreek will be upon his return to the NFL and whether he is what Kansas City is looking for.
Chiefs need a deep-threat WR
As is, the Chiefs need to bolster their deep-passing offense. Xaview Worthy hasn’t truly filled in Hill’s shoes and has transformed into another role. He hasn’t been used much on deep routes since his rookie year, and when he is assigned such a duty, he doesn’t take the top off the secondary or get as much separation as the team would hope for.
The thing with Tyreek is, his speed is everything. That’s who he is on the gridiron and what made him unguardable. If he loses his speed, he might be able to reinvent himself as a different NFL player, even with how difficult that’d be at 32. But if Hill is no longer able to turn into “Cheetah” on the field, then he may not be that appealing an option for the Chiefs, other than from the return-of-the-rebellious-son point of view.
Mahomes could profit from Hill’s return
Coming off his season-ending injury last year, Mahomes hasn’t put his rocket of an arm to use too often, either. Perhaps that’s a mix of his own lack of confidence, trying to progressively ramp up his workload, and a lack of trust in his receivers in such situations.
Through the first few weeks, the game plan and Mahomes’ decisions have rather played it safe, handing it off to Kenneth Walker III and looking for short- to medium-range passes where Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice and others can work their magic with their run-after-catch abilities. If there was a RAC university, Hill would be the dean, as he needs to be taught no lessons on that front. Still, it remains to be seen how Hill looks coming off the gruesome knee injury he suffered in 2025.
Kansas City has a soft spot for Tyreek, and vice versa
Regardless of all the question marks surrounding Hill in free agency, there’s something in the air. It simply feels like it will happen. It may not be easy and might require the Chiefs to take a leap of faith, but not even all the doubts appear to be dealbreakers between Reek and KC. Someone check the air and water quality in the City of Fountains; it all reeks of a reunion brewing.
Key takeaways
- Mike Garafolo reports conversations between Chiefs and Tyreek Hill are “inevitable”.
- Tyreek Hill remains an unrestricted free agent following a career-threatening knee injury.
- He recorded 479 catches for 6,630 yards and 67 touchdowns during his previous Chiefs tenure.
