Tyreek Hill Says He’s ‘For Sure’ a Better Player Than Patrick Mahomes

After being voted the NFL's best player by his peers, Hill confirms that he also thinks he's a better player than his former QB.

Nov 5, 2023; Frankfurt, Germany; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) carries the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second half during an NFL International Series game at Deutsche Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

When this year's NFL Top 100 Players list came out this summer, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes got knocked off his throne as the No. 1 athlete in the NFL. Not only that, but the two-time MVP winner trailed three players on the 2024 edition of the list – including one of his former teammates.

As folks are now aware of, Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill took home the top spot. The list, as voted on by the players themselves, reflects the league recognizing how lethal of an in-game threat Hill is. Despite so many others agreeing that Mahomes is football's most valuable asset, his peers sold him short anyway.

Does Hill himself think he's a better player than Mahomes? He was recently asked that on FanDuel TV's Up & Adams program, and the All-Pro wideout didn't hold back.

"Yeah, for sure!" Hill said. "I'm him. I'm him. My argument is that, look, come on, you've got to understand, you've got to look at it like this... Pat is great. He's great, obviously for his team, you feel me? They won two back-to-back Super Bowls, yada yada, they did their thing, right? Now you look at me. Two back-to-back 1,700 [-yard seasons], Pro Bowl, All-Pro, this, that, All-Decade, consistency. All [of] that, man. And I'm doing this at 5'8" – I'm going to call myself shorter now – 5'7", about 190 [pounds]. Come on man! A lot of people said I couldn't be a receiver, and here I am doing this. I'm giving all the short kings out there hope, all the short kings across the world hope, you feel me?"

Is Tyreek Hill a BETTER player than Patrick Mahomes?? 🤔

"YEAH, I'm HIM! ...And I'm doing this at 5'8", 5'7"? I'm giving all the SHORT kings out there hope." 😭🔊@cheetah @heykayadams @MiamiDolphins #GoFins pic.twitter.com/UlwOiBkfin

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) August 12, 2024

This response from Hill marks the continuation of a somewhat strange sequence of Chiefs-related thoughts. Following his trade from Kansas City to Miami in 2022, he teased his own podcast to explain why he ended up being moved. Last fall, a clip surfaced of him saying he was somewhat "jealous" of Mahomes and Travis Kelce and didn't enjoy a "side chick" role once his career blossomed. This past spring, however, he explained how Mahomes's competitive nature and fire are what makes him a "different dude" relative to everyone else attempting to chase greatness.

Compare this to what Mahomes said when asked about Hill before last season's Week 9 Chiefs-Dolphins matchup, and it's easy to see where the wires are disconnected.

"Yeah, I mean, we're competitors," Mahomes said. "That's [what it is] at the end of the day. You've seen me with guys like Maxx Crosby. You've seen me, I have that competitive fire when you're on the football field, and he's the same way. That's what makes him so great. We're still friends in the offseason and everything like that but when you play on the field, you're trying to compete to win. That's just kind of how it is. I'm excited for the opportunity for our defense. I'm excited for the opportunity for our team to go up against a great football team."

Don't get it twisted: Hill is far from silly for believing in himself and bragging about his accomplishments. A high-level athlete should think they're among the best, especially after the 2022 and 2023 seasons he's had. But to downplay what Mahomes and Co. have done since parting ways with Hill is an objectively questionable decision.

If history repeats itself, Kansas City will likely end up taking the high road on this one as well.

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