In the aftermath of one of the most difficult off-seasons for the NFL’s best wide receiver, the Kansas City Chiefs announced a three-year contract extension with Tyreek Hill.
Reports surfaced Thursday afternoon via Jason LaCanfora at CBSSports.com that the Kansas City Chiefs and star wide receiver, Tyreek Hill, were closing in on a contract extension. A day later, that rumor became a reality when the team gave Hill a three-year contract extension worth $54 million.
The deal, which had to be structured in a way to offset Hill’s off-the-field issues in 2014 and 2019, included a relatively low signing bonus of $5.8 million. That means the balance of the contract, which includes $36 million in guarantees overall, truly makes this a series of one-year contracts that the Chiefs could get out of at any point.
Further, the Chiefs could absorb the totality of that signing bonus this year or spread it out over the next four years. Either way, it gives the Chiefs a solid out should Hill find himself on the wrong side of the media again.
There was little doubt this extension would get done. The NFL cleared Hill from wrong-doings regarding the allegations of child abuse that would have forced him to take an absence from the team. Once the verdict came down, the Chiefs began contract talks again in August, clearing the path to finalize the deal on Friday.
With this signing, the Chiefs still have enough cap room to extend star defender, Chris Jones. This leaves open the possibilities of adding a veteran at the trade deadline in October. However, it also opens the door to adding some street talent on Tuesday. Once Week 1 is in the books, NFL teams can sign veterans and not have their contracts guaranteed for the remainder of the season. This limits their cap exposure should those players not stick on the 53-man roster.
Two names to keep an eye on for the Chiefs are linebacker, Brandon Marshall, recently released by the Oakland Raiders, and nickel cornerback, Jamar Taylor, who last played with the Seattle Seahawks.
