Miami's Tyreek Hill Is Still Hungry, Even After Kansas City 'Threw Me To The Side, Like I Was Trash'

MIAMI GARDENS -- Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill got off the line of scrimmage and got behind Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay. Then, well, it didn't seem fair after that.

Hill cooked the Pro Bowl corner for a long touchdown and that's the moment stuff turned for the Miami offense in this dual practice. Suddenly there was energy from the fans in the stands and a buzz along the Miami sideline.

And later when a teammate followed with a big play of his own, Hill was the first to meet him as he jogged back to the sideline by jumping all over him in celebration.

This was a practice, folks. Practice, as they say in Philadelphia.

But it offered a preview of the role Hill expects to play for the Dolphins this coming season. It's a role expressly authored for him by coach Mike McDaniel.

"He just told me, 'Reek, I just need you to lead and get us hyped,' " Hill told OutKick on Thursday. "Like I'm basically the hype man. Every team has a hype man so I'm that guy. So whenever I'm on the football field I'm bringing energy everyday. ...

"Like our last practice against the Eagles, guys felt that energy, from the quarterback, from myself and other guys around him. And things started happening for us, so that's what I do, man."

Tyreek Hill Still Hungry After Getting Paid

The Dolphins traded for Hill in the offseason, sending five draft picks to the Kansas Chiefs including a first-rounder and a second-rounder in April's draft. Miami then signed the six-time Pro Bowl receiver to a four-year, $120 million contract.

Quick trip to the calculator here... Yeah, that's $30 million average per season.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) runs drills during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex in Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday, July 28, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (David Santiago/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

So Hill is getting quarterback money to bring skills that have led to four 1,000-plus-yard receiving seasons. And Hill guarantees the Dolphins spent every penny wisely.

"The thing that really motivates me is my kids and my family first," Hill said. "But I see a lot of guys who get paid and they're just not hungry no more. But I feel like everything happens for a reason, dog. Looking at my situation back in K.C., I had a great situation, a great quarterback, a great head coach, great teammates, great everything but, like I say, everything happens for a reason.

"And a lot of guys when they get paid, they stop wanting to get better. And I feel like when the Kansas City Chiefs traded me I kind of took that personal. So now what really motivates me is I feel like they basically just threw me to the side, like I was trash or something.

"I take so much pride in this game and wanting to be the best and wanting to help my team win and have as much success as I can to where I'm not going to let it happen. I'm not going to be another guy who gets the bag and just stops working.

"I'm going to continue to come out here and battle through whatever I'm going through each and every day and compete with the best and call out the best each and every day. I'm going to show them why I'm worth what I got because truly and for sure, bro, I'm him. Know what I'm saying?"

What Hill is saying is a shot across the bow of the entire NFL. Tyreek Hill isn't pumping brakes because he's cashing bigger checks. More like he's stepping harder on the gas.

Super Bowl For Miami And The Dolphins?

That bleeds from personal accomplishments and goals over to team accomplishments and goals, Hill adds.

"For me, man, obviously there are a lot of areas you can always improve at," he said. "But my main goal this year is help this team any way I can to make it to the playoffs, obviously, and then we're going to go to the Super Bowl.

"I'm not here to service myself or here to get any kind of accolades for myself. I'm here to bring something great to this city, dog. I've had a chance to grow up as a huge fan of the Miami Dolphins and just being here and being around the tradition and being around the legends who have played for this team, the amount of things that I've heard from them and the way we can turn this city up, that's what I want.

"I want to ride in a parade through Miami, Hard Rock and Miami Gardens and just feel that energy. That's what I'm here for."

More Tyreek Hill Coverage At OutKick

Hill knows what a Super Bowl team looks like. He played on the Super Bowl champions in 2019 and returned to the Super Bowl in 2020. So does he see that potential in the Miami locker room now?

"Oh yeah, for sure, for sure, I definitely see the same potential," Hill said. "Obviously, like I said earlier, we have a lot of young guys and young guys that can play football and a lot of young guys who want to win games.

"So when you look at the team I was on with the Kansas City Chiefs and you look at this team now, everything aligns. All we got to do now is make sure when we go out there we stay accountable, we're playing for each other, we're playing hard, and we're doing what we've been taught during OTAs, during training camp, and all of that. And then we let it show on game day."

And in some practices, too.

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