Tyreek Hill’s 2025 season ended with a gruesome injury on national television that forced him to undergo major knee surgery. Considering the severity of the injury and Hill’s age, many feared that this could be the end of the former Kansas City Chiefs great’s career. Yet, shortly after the surgery, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, revealed that Hill would play in 2026 and that they were aiming for the start of next season for his return.

This understandably increased speculation about a potential reunion with the Chiefs. The Dolphins will almost certainly release Hill before the start of the new league year to get his non-guaranteed base salary off their books. When the former Chief becomes a free agent, few landing spots make more sense than Kansas City. Hill would come in on a one-year deal and have a small role in the stacked Chiefs’ wide receiver room. The 31-year-old has been posting on social media during Chiefs games, fueling rumors of a return.

Tyreek Hill Nearing Retirement Instead of Playing Another Season

In an interview on the podcast of Hill’s former Dolphins teammate Terron Armstead, the star receiver struck a completely different tone. He sounded like a player who has accepted his athletic mortality and has come to terms with the looming end of the road. As reported by the Associated Press, via ESPN, Hill said, “I’m happy with the career that I’ve had. I love playing football. I love it, but it takes a lot. It takes a lot on you mentally, it takes a lot on you physically,” before adding that he needs to have a conversation with his mom, family, and rest of his loved ones before making a decision.

Hill also addressed the much-discussed smile on his face when he was getting carted off. He said that he was thinking about all the great times he had playing football and how grateful he was for the journey, resulting in him waving to the crowd and blowing kisses despite just suffering a horrendous injury.

Even before suffering the devastating injury, Hill was understandably slowing down. Once the fastest and most feared wide receiver in the game, Hill had begun showing signs of decline, having the worst season of his career with the Dolphins in 2024. He must understand better than anybody how grueling a journey it will be to recover, rehab, and become the same player he was before the injury. The mental, emotional, and physical work that it will take to be ready for another NFL season after already accomplishing everything a football player can accomplish on the field will be a big challenge.

That is why it seems unlikely not only for Hill to return to the Chiefs for next season, but to play football altogether. Yet, a decision has not been made, so Chiefs fans will stay tuned.