If Tyreek Hill had any doubters left about his emergence as an elite NFL wide receiver, they were converted after watching him on Monday.
On a Monday night showdown with plenty of storylines, one of the biggest belonged to Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill. With an eye-popping 215 receiving yards in the Chiefs loss to the L.A. Rams, Hill made yet another profound statement in primetime.
Hill is now in his second full season as a wide receiver and third overall in the NFL. Coming into the NFL as a fast collegiate player from West Alabama, Hill immediately turned heads his rookie season as a sensational returner who drew comparisons to Dante Hall and Devin Hester. He put up 12 total touchdowns during his rookie season as a versatile offensive weapon and special teams ace.
The following year, however, the Chiefs had a greater vision for Hill—as an elite wide receiver who could regularly torch defenses if he could learn the schemes, grow as a blocker, and execute the routes. Hill immediately dove in and proved himself a very willing learner. The results were remarkable. Andy Reid‘s staff had coached him up to great effect and the final tally was another Pro Bowl season—his second in two seasons—and the sixth-most receiving yards in Chiefs history with 1,183.
More from Arrowhead Addict
- Former Chiefs cornerback in legal trouble in Las Vegas
- Chiefs Kingdom: Get ready to break contract news
- Chiefs news: Travis Kelce wants to host fan ‘chug-off’ in Germany
- Podcast: Breaking down the Chiefs biggest roster battles
- KC Chiefs send Dave Merritt to NFL coaching accelerator
This year, however, Hill has reached another level entirely. He remains the fastest player in the NFL, but he’s also become an elite target who now deserves mention alongside the very best in the game—the Antonio Browns and Odell Beckham Jrs of the NFL.
Hill came into the game against the Rams having already established a career-high in receiving touchdowns with 9. He also had 55 catches for 891 yards. On Monday he caught another 9 passes for 189 yards, giving him 1,106 on the season with five games left after the team’s bye in Week 12. He’s only 77 yards off of last year and it’s clear he will continue to set another high mark on the Chiefs all-time list. In fact, it’s very possible he sets the mark, for which he only needs to average 57 yards/game to eclipse Derrick Alexander‘s 18-year-old record of 1,391.
But even the numbers don’t tell the full story of Hill’s dominance on the night. Even in a loss, Hill was impossible to quantify as he showed himself to be a big play threat time and time again. Viewers of one of the most anticipated games got to see a dynamic playmaker put up field-stretching scores like they were commonplace. Fans who were already well-acquainted with the unparalleled returner were given a sense that he also has few peers as a wideout.
Just in case there were any doubters left about Hill’s greatness at the position, they have now been silenced. Hill is undoubtedly a top 10 wide receiver in a passing league and it’s possible he could be considered among the best five. And to think he’s just getting started.