Tyreek Hill’s former Kansas City Chiefs teammate, Trey Smith, doesn’t blame him for forcing a trade to the Miami Dolphins.
Hill has been outspoken since the trade, even comparing his new quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to Chiefs signal-caller Patrick Mahomes. That, of course, is more Hill trying to inspire confidence in his new QB than anything else.
Shortly after his trade to Miami, Hill signed a contract extension that Kansas City general manager Brett Veach was unwilling to give him, per reports. The deal was worth $120 million over four years, and contained $53.4 million guaranteed at signing. It’ll pay Hill until he’s 32 years old.
No Chiefs teammates have spoken out against Hill. They certainly understand from the player perspective. You can add Smith to that list, as he came out in support of Tyreek.
Trey Smith: ‘Don’t blame’ Tyreek Hill for leaving Chiefs
“Yeah, the coaches are gonna do what they think is best for the organization and for the team. And I can’t blame Tyreek; he’s getting paid,” Smith said on the J-Mart and Ramon radio show, via the Kansas City Star. “I’ll never blame a guy to get paid but he’s got to do what’s best for him. I’m really excited to see what he does in Miami, wishing him well.”
This doesn’t mean Smith’s future is suspect, or that Kansas City’s players know more behind the scenes. It’s merely an understood concept that when players have a chance to maximize their value, they need to do everything in their power to receive a contract with guaranteed money.
Football is a contact sport, of course, and it’s quite violent. Any player — even at a skill position — can go down with an injury at any moment. This is why Hill emphasized guaranteed money, and why he and agent Drew Rosenhaus made a trade to Miami happen.
They gave Tyreek guaranteed money, and the chance to make even more. Kansas City would not.
Sometimes it really is about the Benjamins.