Don't Count on Tyreek Hill Playing Week 1 of the 2026 NFL Season

Rumors are raging that a reunion is imminent between the Kansas City Chiefs and five-time All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill, especially now that Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice is back in the news for unfortunate off-field reasons, including a surprise cleanup knee surgery.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter joined “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday and discussed the veteran receivers still on the free agency market.

“Tyreek Hill has an injury situation where he might not be ready until midway through the season,” Schefter said, noting that a team may wait until months from now to sign him. He also categorized the Chiefs’ urgency in adding a receiver as a strong “maybe.”

Hill, 32, suffered a horrifying injury during Week 4 of last season - dislocating his left knee and tearing multiple ligaments. The Miami Dolphins released him in February.

Hill started his career as a fifth-round draft pick of the Chiefs in 2016, and he became one of the best receivers in the world once Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018. They put up video game numbers together and won Super Bowl LIV to cap the 2019 NFL season.

The Chiefs lost Super Bowl LV to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following year and blew an AFC Championship Game lead to Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in January 2022. After that, Kansas City shook up the snowglobe and traded Hill to the Dolphins in March 2022.

Hill immediately enhanced then-Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense and, in some ways, buoyed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s meandering young career. He posted back-to-back 1,700-yard receiving seasons - leading the NFL with 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023 - before having a relatively quiet season in 2024.

Hill’s production had taken a dip before his devastating knee injury, so it’s fair to question whether he can recapture his prime form. That would be fair skepticism for a 32-year-old receiver with a healthy knee.

The bigger question is whether the Chiefs want to get back into the Tyreek Hill business. The Chiefs didn’t show any urgency at the wide receiver position earlier in free agency or during the draft, but Rice may have forced their hand to add someone, Hill or otherwise.

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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 9:04 PM.