"He is that kind of difference maker."
Former #ChiefsKingdom QB Alex Smith on what Kansas City is losing in Tyreek Hill and how Andy Reid will attempt to fill his void in 2022:#NFL #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/X9aYURwq7J
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) March 30, 2022
The Kansas City Chiefs will be without one of their most dynamic weapons in 2022 and former starting QB Alex Smith expects some big changes as a result.
Speaking on the Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday, Smith weighed in on the Chiefs’ recent trade of Tyreek Hill. Smith played with Hill for two seasons, connecting on 136 passes for 1,776 yards and 13 touchdowns. He knows better than anyone not named Patrick Mahomes exactly what Kansas City is losing in Hill and how it won’t be so easy to replace him.
“Flatout, you’re not going to replace him,” Smith told Eisen. “There is literally only one Tyreek Hill in the whole NFL. He is that kind of difference-maker. I was fortunate enough to play my last two years there in Kansas City with him. Honestly, when he’s on the field, defenses play differently. He opens up so many other players around him because everybody is so fearful.”
The thing that makes Hill so dangerous, in Smith’s opinion, is that he’s more than just a speed threat. His ability to change the game in so many different ways makes him very difficult to prepare for and it forces teams into mistakes.
“There are a lot of fast guys in the league, who are, in the end, they’re kind of one-dimensional,” Smith continued. “Tyreek is not that. We saw it throughout the playoffs, catch-and-run, deep ball, put him back there for punt and kickoff return, hand him the ball in the backfield. I mean, he’s an incredible weapon, incredibly unique. You’re just not going to fill those shoes.”
So what does the absence of Hill mean for the Chiefs moving forward? Smith sees his absence as a trade-off. The team is sacrificing being as dynamic on offense to perhaps make some moves that will make the team more well-rounded on both offense and defense.
“I do think they won’t be as dynamic on offense. This is the trade-off that I think Andy is thinking about and Brett Veach as well — for that salary that they were going to potentially get (Hill) at and the draft picks they got in return — can they potentially go be better on the defensive side of the ball? I think they look back to a few years ago and maybe they’re going to be a bit more balanced on offense and defense.”
Smith is plenty familiar with Andy Reid making an executive decision to get value for a player at the right time. After all, the Chiefs did it with Smith back in 2017.
“And I think this has been Andy’s (modus operandi) his entire coaching career,” Smith explained. “Rather than letting you play out your contract and walk away for nothing, he’s certainly going to try and get value for you while he can. I was even a product of that, right? I mean, how many quarterbacks have we seen him do this with over the years, where he does trade them and he gets value back. They do a great job of developing talent.”
If the Chiefs can hit on some draft picks, fill out the offensive and defensive roster, Smith thinks the move can be a win for Kansas City. However, he doesn’t expect the team to find a “replacement” for Hill. Maybe they’ll find some players to help replace the production lost, but finding a player as special as Hill, that’s a hard task.
“So they decided to make this move and it’s bold,” Smith said. “And again, they’re not going to replace him on offense. You’re just not going to find anybody in the draft or out there in free agency that is going to fill those shoes. They’re going to have to adjust offensively, but again, I think the big question is: Can they be better as a team? That cap space, can they go get some other players, maybe on the defensive side of the ball. With those draft picks, can they get some role players to come in and help them this next year? I think that’s the equation they’re trying to make. They will not be as explosive as they have been on offense with Tyreek gone. He’s just that type of player.”
