Dophins’ Mike McDaniel lost his mind when he found out ‘untouchable’ Tyreek Hill was available for trade
There is a reason that Mike McDaniel is an NFL head coach and not a general manager.
One of the most promising coaching names in the business joked that he was ready to trade the Miami Dolphins' entire roster when he first learned in 2022 that Tyreek Hill was on the trading block with the Kansas City Chiefs.
"What? Tell 'em they can have everything!" McDaniel said on the , making a crazy face to re-enact his excitement.
Hill was already a star wide receiver with Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid and the Chiefs from 2016-21.
But when Kansas City gave Mahomes franchise-changing money, the team knew it couldn't keep everyone.
That provided an opening for Miami to secure one of the best wideouts in the NFL -- if the Dolphins could pull off the blockbuster trade.
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"(General manager) Chris (Grier) walks in and he's like, 'Hey, so I just got a call from the Chiefs talking about Tyreek Hill,' " McDaniel recalled.
The young coach immediately blurted out that whatever it took to cut a deal for Hill, it was worth the price.
Even if that meant sending away every good player on Miami's roster.
"Once I did that I was like, 'Well, this is pretty irresponsible. I better check the tape, " McDaniel said. "It's not like I was watching Tyreek. I thought he was untouchable."
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McDaniel, who'd just taken the Dolphins job, expected to take the weekend off and had told his wife that he'd be home around 3 p.m.
Instead, the 40-year-old coach set up shop in his new film room and went to work.
"I started with every target and then that turned into every pass of that year," McDaniel said. "And then it turned into for the last three years. I couldn't stop. And then I was in too deep."
He added: "I turn the page, it's 8 o'clock, my wife's ripping me. I'm like, 'Honey, hold on. When I get home, I'll explain.' "
Hill made six Pro Bowls with Kansas City and had already won a Super Bowl.
Miami was trying to take the next step in its evolution and Hill had the potential to be a franchise changer, in addition to a perfect complement to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
"I became stressed," McDaniel said. "Like, we have to have him."
While fans often joke that they'd be willing to trade everything to acquire an elite QB, non-QBs are rarely at the heart of blockbuster trades.
But the super-speedy Hill is on another level.
This season, he has 97 catches while leading the NFL in receiving yards (1,542) and touchdowns (12).
"You do whatever it takes," McDaniel said.
Even if that means missing a 3 p.m. appointment with his wife.
"I am a present guy," McDaniel said. "The cost of that, when you're present all the time, is there's no time for a phone. So I don't check my phone, especially when I'm getting floated Tyreek Hill."
The Dolphins ultimately traded Hill for five draft picks and gave him a new four-year, $120 million contract.
It wasn't Miami's entire roster.
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But it was a ton -- and it's been worth it for the Dolphins, who are 10-4 while eyeing the best record in the NFL.
McDaniel and Hill have another big opportunity together on Sunday when Miami hosts Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys.