Tyreek Hill would be a good fit for the Chiefs, says one of his former teammates
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Former teammate says Tyreek Hill’s work ethic supports a successful NFL return in 2026.
- Tyrann Mathieu argues Hill could mentor young KC Chiefs receivers and raise their play.
- Chiefs kept quiet on interest after Hill’s workout; reunion remains uncertain.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid played his cards close to his vest when asked last week about free agent wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Through his first 10 seasons, Hill’s stats put him in the top 50 in NFL history in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches.
Hill is unquestionably one of the best receivers of his generation. But there are questions about whether he can be the same player after suffering a dislocated knee and torn ligaments last season.
However, one of Hill’s former Chiefs teammates thinks the “Cheetah” can maintain his excellence.
“With his work ethic, I’m not counting him out,” Tyrann Mathieu said on his In The Bayou podcast. “I’m not counting him out coming back being just as dominant as he was before.”
Reid didn’t say if he’d welcome back Hill, and Chiefs fans aren’t of the same mind when it comes to the possibility of Hill once again catching passes from quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
While Hill was in Kansas City recently for a workout, there is no word on whether he met with Chiefs general manager Brett Veach and/or Reid. But Mathieu thinks a Hill reunion would be good for both sides, and not just for football reasons.
“It’s hard to get in trouble in Kansas City. Kansas City is not Miami,” Mathieu said. “So maybe that’s something he needs right to kind of get back to the Midwest and to play for a coach that believed in you. They got everything in place for you to sort of succeed. I don’t think it’s a bad look at all.”
Plus, Mathieu said, the Chiefs could use someone who can mentor the team’s wide receivers.
“Given the guys that they have on a roster now, he might be the person to sort of lift those guys’ play, right?” Mathieu said. “Because we talked about Xavier Worthy and a lot of these other kids, that they just haven’t figured it out yet. And one of the things that, like I said, impressed me the most with Tyreek was he was just like me. He’s a football player. He don’t miss practice, right? Like, he takes all his reps. He don’t miss no games.
“And I think, given what the Chiefs have sort of experienced the last three years at the wide receiver position, he may be the next best teacher for them.”
This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 10:05 AM.
