Chiefs could target Tyreek Hill after Rice, Thornton injuries, report says
In short
The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Las Vegas Raiders 30-27 to stay 4-0 but lost wide receivers Rashee Rice (hamstring) and Tyquan Thornton (ankle, carted off) to injuries. Newsweek, citing The Athletic’s Michael Silver, reported the Chiefs are expected to target free-agent wide receiver Tyreek Hill once he can return from injury and have contacted his agent. No signing has been announced.
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The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Las Vegas Raiders 30-27 on Sunday night to move to 4-0, but lost two wide receivers to injury in the win. Rashee Rice, the team’s top wide receiver, pulled up after a catch and grabbed his hamstring in the first quarter and did not return, Fox News and the Associated Press reported. Tyquan Thornton, who had five catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns, was injured on a 55-yard catch-and-run and was carted off the field, according to both outlets. [ 1 , 3 ]
AP reported that Rice’s injury is not considered serious, but that he almost certainly would have missed at least one week, and that the Chiefs’ bye — which fell this week — gives him a chance to be back on the field the next time they play. AP described Thornton’s injury as the more devastating of the two, saying his ankle got caught beneath him and twisted at a gruesome angle. [ 3 ]
Talk of a reunion with Tyreek Hill followed. Fox News noted that Hill posted “Hm” on X after the Chiefs completed the win over their AFC West rival. Newsweek, citing The Athletic’s Michael Silver, reported that the Chiefs are expected to target the free-agent wide receiver once he is ready to return to game action from his injury, and that the team has already been in contact with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. [ 1 , 2 ]
Hill spent four seasons with the Chiefs from 2018 to 2021, was a Pro Bowler in each of them and was part of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV team, Newsweek reported. He was limited to four games last season with the Miami Dolphins, posting one touchdown, 21 receptions and 265 receiving yards, after six touchdowns, 81 receptions and 959 receiving yards in 17 games the season before, according to Newsweek. [ 2 ]
Newsweek also reported that Stephen A. Smith made a guarantee for the Chiefs if they sign Hill, though its summary did not say what that guarantee was. No agreement between the Chiefs and Hill is announced in the documents. [ 4 ]
Why it matters
The Chiefs are 4-0, and the two injuries leave them thin at wide receiver going into a bye week that the Associated Press said arrived at an opportune time. Signing Hill would bring back a former Pro Bowl receiver who spent four seasons in Kansas City, though the reported interest has not been confirmed by the team in the documents.
Key facts
- The Chiefs beat the Las Vegas Raiders 30-27 on Sunday night and are 4-0. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Rashee Rice suffered a hamstring injury in the first quarter and was ruled out for the rest of the game. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Tyquan Thornton, who had five catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns, was carted off after his ankle was caught and twisted on a 55-yard catch-and-run. [ 1 , 3 ]
- AP reported that Rice’s injury is not considered serious and that the bye week gives him a chance to return the next time the Chiefs play. [ 3 ]
- Newsweek, citing The Athletic’s Michael Silver, reported the Chiefs are expected to target free-agent wide receiver Tyreek Hill once he is ready to return to game action and have contacted his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. [ 2 ]
- Fox News noted that Hill posted “Hm” on X after the Chiefs’ win. [ 1 ]
- Newsweek reported Hill spent four seasons with the Chiefs from 2018 to 2021, was a Pro Bowler in each of them and was part of the Super Bowl LIV team. [ 2 ]
- A Newsweek summary said Stephen A. Smith made a guarantee for the Chiefs if they sign Hill, without stating what the guarantee was. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Chiefs beat the Las Vegas Raiders 30-27 and improved to 4-0. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Rashee Rice left the game with a hamstring injury in the first quarter and did not return. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Tyquan Thornton was injured and carted off the field in the same game. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Tyreek Hill is being linked to a possible return to the Chiefs. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the Chiefs will actually sign or reach agreement with Tyreek Hill. The expectation is attributed to a single report — The Athletic’s Michael Silver, relayed by Newsweek — and the documents say the team has not confirmed anything.
- How long Tyquan Thornton will be out. Fox News said he will be out for some time, but no specific timeline or return date appears in the documents.
- Tyreek Hill’s current status, with Fox News describing him as a Miami Dolphins player and Newsweek describing him as a free agent. The two outlets describe his situation differently, and the documents do not resolve it.
- What Stephen A. Smith’s guarantee for the Chiefs consisted of. Only a headline and a one-sentence feed summary of that item were available, and neither states the guarantee.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Fox News publishes a report on the Chiefs’ 30-27 win over the Raiders, the injuries to Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton, and Tyreek Hill’s “Hm” post on X. [ 1 ]
- Newsweek reports, citing The Athletic’s Michael Silver, that the Chiefs are expected to target free-agent wide receiver Tyreek Hill and have been in contact with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. [ 2 ]
- The Associated Press reports that the Chiefs could consider signing Hill, that Rice’s injury is not considered serious, and that the bye week may have come at an opportune time. [ 3 ]
- Newsweek reports that Stephen A. Smith made a guarantee for the Chiefs if they sign Hill. [ 4 ]