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Tyreek Hill

Busy receiver feels underutilized

When top players go elsewhere in free agency or get traded while under contract, it's safe to say it's frequently about money. Seldom does anyone admit that, though, usually saying it's because of their role or how they were used in the offense. The latest example involves Tyreek Hill.

Hill talked about it in a podcast with agent Drew Rosenhaus; story at this link. There were other complaints, including a personal issue and some discussion of money (and the Davante Adams deal), but the one both harp in is the idea that the star wideout was underutilized at times.

“If teams are gonna give us favorable one-on-one matches against their best corner, I don’t see why teams don’t utilize their best receiver,” Hill said. “And that’s where probably like me and the team fell apart right there. When I’m like, yo, I don’t mean to talk or be a diva in some situation but can I see the pill some time, please? Just give me the ball, please.”

Maybe there were individual games where Hill didn't see enough targets, but it's hard to subscribe to the complaint. At the end of the year he was thrown to 159 times, which ranked 7th in the league. Over the past four years, Hill saw at least 135 targets three times (the fourth year he missed four games due to injury). Collectively, he accounts for three of the top 50 seasons for targets since 2017.

HEAVILY TARGETED WIDE RECEIVERS, 2018-2021
YearPlayerGTgtRecYdsAvgTD
2021Cooper Kupp, LAR17191145194713.416
2019Michael Thomas, N.O.16185149172511.69
2018Julio Jones, Atl.16170113167714.88
2021Davante Adams, G.B.16169123155312.611
2021Diontae Johnson, Pitt.16169107116110.98
2018Davante Adams, G.B.15169111138612.513
2018Antonio Brown, Pitt.15168104129712.515
2021Justin Jefferson, Min.17167108161615.010
2020Stefon Diggs, Buff.16166127153512.18
2018JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt.16166111142612.97
2021Stefon Diggs, Buff.17164103122511.910
2021DJ Moore, Car.1716393115712.44
2018DeAndre Hopkins, Hou.16163115157213.711
2020DeAndre Hopkins, Ariz.16160115140712.26
2021Tyreek Hill, K.C.17159111123911.29
2021Keenan Allen, LAC16157106113810.76
2019Julio Jones, Atl.1515799139414.16
2019Allen Robinson, Chi.1615498114711.77
2019Julian Edelman, N.E.16153100111711.26
2018Adam Thielen, Min.16153113137312.29
2020Allen Robinson, Chi.16151102125012.36
2019DeAndre Hopkins, Hou.15150104116511.27
2020Davante Adams, G.B.14149115137412.018
2019Keenan Allen, LAC16149104119911.56
2018Stefon Diggs, Min.15149102102110.09
2018Jarvis Landry, Cle.161498197612.14
2019Tyler Boyd, Cin.1614890104611.65
2020Keenan Allen, LAC141471009929.98
2018Michael Thomas, N.O.16147125140511.29
2021Marquise Brown, Balt.1614691100811.16
2020Diontae Johnson, Pitt.151448892310.57
2020Calvin Ridley, Atl.1514390137415.39
2021Jaylen Waddle, Mia.1614010410159.86
2021Darnell Mooney, Chi.1714081105513.04
2019Robert Woods, LAR1513990113412.62
2019Jarvis Landry, Cle.1613883117414.16
2018Mike Evans, T.B.1613886152417.78
2018Tyreek Hill, K.C.1613787147917.012
2020Robby Anderson, Car.1613695109611.53
2018Keenan Allen, LAC1613697119612.36
2020Tyreek Hill, K.C.1513587127614.715
2019DJ Moore, Car.1513587117513.54
2021Brandin Cooks, Hou.1613490103711.56
2020Terry McLaurin, Was.1513487111812.94
2019Cooper Kupp, LAR1613494116112.410
2019Odell Beckham, Cle.1613374103514.04
2020Tyler Lockett, Sea.16132100105410.510
2021Terry McLaurin, Was.1713077105313.75
2020Amari Cooper, Dall.1613092111412.15
2018Robert Woods, LAR1613086121914.26

Note the presence of only one Dolphin on the list; Jaylen Waddle last year. There also aren't any 49ers, whose former offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is now Miami's head coach. This makes sense since San Francisco has ranked 16th and 29th in pass attempts the last two years, while Miami ranked 18th and 8th. Kansas City was top-3 both seasons.

Tyreek's a great player; I've championed his skills elsewhere on this site, knocking what Kansas City will be putting on the field in his place. But it concerns me that he feels he wasn't utilized enough, particularly if he's thinking things will be different in Miami. He's not working with a comparable quarterback (although he claims Tua Tagovailoa is more accurate than Patrick Mahomes), and it will probably be a lesser (and less busy) passing game.

Hill averaged nearly 10 targets per game last year, and pretty likely he'll be under that in 2022. I think he might get homesick fairly quickly.

--Andy Richardson

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