Chiefs announce the addition of Peyton Hillis

Posted by Evan Silva on March 14, 2012, 7:13 PM EDT
AP

The Kansas City Chiefs announced Wednesday that they have signed running back Peyton Hillis, formerly of the Browns.

Hillis has a coaching staff connection in K.C. New Chiefs offensive coordinator Brian Daboll ran the offense in Cleveland during Hillis’ breakout 2010 season. Hillis’ 2011 campaign was marred by injuries and a distracting contract situation, but he’s only 26 years old and one of the top power runners in football when healthy.

With Jamaal Charles returning from a torn ACL, the Chiefs will be able to field a Thunder and Lightning-style backfield duo. Expect the team to revert to a run-heavy offense in 2012.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Hillis’ deal is worth $3 million for one year.

Hillis was the No. 39 overall player on the PFT Hot 100.

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74 responses to “Chiefs announce the addition of Peyton Hillis”

  4. Maybe playing second fiddle again will restart that fire inside him to play ball.

    Good luck and thanks for the years in Brown and Orange.

  8. Don’t care if Peyton M goes to Denver or not.

    The chiefs are going to win ….though win a horrible division.

    Good signing

  13. Look for Charles to get all the workload and Hillis to focus on growing a beard and wearing sweatpants.

    -sincerely,
    everyone who owned Hillis in fantasy football last year. We are all idiots.

  14. Wait his breakout season was marred by injuries and a distracting contract situation?

  15. This could be huge, if Hillis can return to form, a Charles and Hillis 1-2 punch could be one of the best if not the best run combo in the NFL. Sprinkle in a lil McCluster? Wooooo boy.

    Now just a pinch of Cassel? Eww, gross get that s**t out of here.

  18. Just like Lebron, Cleveland gets what it deserves.

    You perpetrated a fraud against the American people by stuffing the Madden cover ballot box. Now you reap what you sow.

  19. Do they play NE this year? Josh McDaniels better keep his wife at home if they do.

  21. This is sad coming from a skins fan “”hence my screen name”” but I feel sad for browns fans. I really do they just can’t catch a break

  25. howmanyringsyourteamgot says:

    Mar 14, 2012 7:20 PM
    Wait his breakout season was marred by injuries and a distracting contract situation?

    Yeah, but that wasn’t Hillis’ fault. It was because he was on the cover of Madden.

    Hey, Josh! Josh McDaniels! You butthead! Trading Peyton Hillis for Brady Quinn is just dumb. So he shoulda never left Denver to begin with.

  28. Man o man I sure am happy they didnt sign Tolbert! Good pickup for them… I just couldnt bare to see Tolbert rumble all over our defensive line 2 times a year.

  30. Reportedly turned down at least a 16 million 3 year contract before last season with Browns with 3 mill guaranted.

  33. 3 mil for a guy who has had one good year out of his entire collegiate and pro career, hmm ok. What happened to Thomas Jones?

  34. WOW

    One year, 3 million dollars?!?!?

    Compare that to all of the deals he turned down from the Browns.

    Is there a bigger case of someone’s blatant stupidity costing them more millions than what this clown lost?

  37. Glad to see Hillis go to a team that, you know, actually will appreciate him.

    Sucks for Browns fans but their organization is like the Bills and the Bengals… everytime they get a stud player, they nickel and dime him until he wants to leave.

  38. Good luck with this malcontent… Talk about a one-year wonder lol. The Browns learned, now I guess the Chiefs need to as well.

  39. people. it feels soo good to see the clowns lose anybody really. wahh wahh I can’t wear my over the hillis jersey boo fucn who clown. peep the name tell dan tolar I want my rent my. Brown season tickets as low as 45.00$ lebron come home please come home. brought u monkeys some coke ca nuts. from quinton. little white bitch give me some chun chun

  42. Chief fans were overjoyed when the announcement that Peyton signed with the Kansas City. Then the collective “D’ohs” were heard across the nation when they found out it was Hillis not Peyton.

  43. zn0rseman says:
    Mar 14, 2012 7:50 PM
    Glad to see Hillis go to a team that, you know, actually will appreciate him.

    Sucks for Browns fans but their organization is like the Bills and the Bengals… everytime they get a stud player, they nickel and dime him until he wants to leave.
    ===================

    Um……what?

    You do realize that the Browns made several offers last year that contained much, much, much more money than this, right?

    A one year, $3m deal shows that a team “appreciates” him?

  44. I can’t believe the Browns didn’t come back to Hillis and beat ANY offer someone else made. $3 Million for 1 YEAR are you kidding me! The Browns should have given him 3 years with 16 Million! Without Hillis the Browns would have lost 1/2 of the games over the past 2 years they won!

    If the Browns didn’t want him they should have dropped him before this year. Without Hillis in 2011 the Browns would have 2 wins not 4 and would have been sitting in the 2nd draft spot in the first place to actually get a good QB.

    Browns you are Dropping the ball big time

  45. Another unimpressive move by KC! Just enough of a move that it looks like you are trying, but after year after year of mediocre at best season…remember this team has won 0 playoff games in 19 years! One year at 3 mil tells u its a rental , just like McClain was this year

  46. 1 year deal for $3M?…..that sounds like a guy trying to rebuild his career/ reputation… and then get a big payday next offseason.

    It’s likely the Chiefs were the only team desperate enough to give him such a short deal.

  48. Hey Browns fans look at the positive no RG3 and no free agents another 5 and 11 season one year closer to the end of the walrus…

  51. It’s so painful to be a Browns fan. We averaged 13 points a game last year, done NOTHING in free agency this year, and just lost our best offensive weapon for the cost of what Randy Learner has under his couch cushions.

    If the stories are true that the Browns were hoping Barkley was in the draft, they’re doing their best to position themselves for next year.

    Why do the fans care more about winning than the organization? I hate this!!!!

  53. A Very bad loss for the Browns.
    He didn’t get on the cover of Madden for nothing.
    I envy the power-ball the the Chiefs will be able to run with.
    I’ll feel better if the Browns are able to land Trent Richardson or Ben Tate (via trade).
    Good Luck Peyton, sad to see you leave C-town.

  55. Just to recap Chiefs free agency day one…

    The Chiefs lost Carr and Orton to the Cowboys, got punked by Carlson who signed with the Vikes and then signed a rent-a-back who is just looking to build his resume and move on…stellar day, Mr. Pioli.

  58. What the f are the browns doing? We signed a de that the bengals didn’t even want and not even a sniff of an offensive player. Well be lucky to average 10 points a game next year

  59. Madden Curse brought down Peyton Hillis, Peyton Manning and hell ….even Walter Payton got hammered posthumously in a book.

    I think it’s time for OJ Simpson to be on the cover.

  60. As a football fan who respects the game, I am happy for the Chiefs – and – think they made a very shrewd move here.

    As a Steeler fan, this is tough news. Peyton Hillis would have been a great signing for the ‘Burgh.

    Rashard Mendenhall will be a gimp for the first half of the season – and a half gimp the second half. He’s a RB who shredded his ACL late in the season. Mendy’s 2012 contributions will be very very limited – and Hillis would have been a perfect fit.

    This reminds me of the ’96 rook draft: Purdue beast Mike Alstott – and we pass on Alstott for OL Project That Never Panned Out Jamain Stephens.

    Very tough draft day in my house that day.

    Imagine Alstott and the Bus could have taken turns staying fresh and kicking the crap out of defenses – with a 90’s/00’s version of the Bull Elephant backfield. What could have been.

    And yeah, I like Redman and see upside in Dwyer – but not enough that blew an opp to steal Hillis far under his true value.

    Ever see Hillis’ hands? Not just a bruiser – guy has some sticky mits.

    Congrats to KC for pulling the trigger on this cat. Very smart.

  61. Peyton, I don’t know what happened in Cleveland but I wish you well. However, Michael Bush is looking better and better.

  62. Gotta love “The Patriot Way”. Keep up the great work Pioli. The David Glass method must be rubbing off on the Chiefs now.

  66. Thank God for Hillis!! The Clowns are always where great become average or damaged. They won’t pay anyone great, as great. Do they really expect them to play “great” for them. Hillis will run all over the NFL this year and next year maybe get paid!

  68. zn0rseman says:
    Mar 14, 2012 7:50 PM
    Glad to see Hillis go to a team that, you know, actually will appreciate him.

    Sucks for Browns fans but their organization is like the Bills and the Bengals… everytime they get a stud player, they nickel and dime him until he wants to leave.
    ===================

    realitypolice says:
    Mar 14, 2012 8:00 PM

    Um……what?

    You do realize that the Browns made several offers last year that contained much, much, much more money than this, right?

    A one year, $3m deal shows that a team “appreciates” him?

    ===================

    Um……what? You do realize that $3 million for one year is more guaranteed money than the Browns were willing to offer for the first two years.

    Their big offer was 5 years for $25 million, of which $22.5 million came in the last three years.

    You have three guesses as to whether that money would have been paid and the answers to your first two are “Eric Steinbach” and “Tony Pashos.”

    The Browns are under the delusion that they’re not the third-worst franchise in the NFL (only Buffalo and Oakland have missed the playoffs more seasons) and that people should be happy to play for anything they offer. They need to sit down and have a long talk with Mario Manningham.

  70. No, he will be looking for a job next year. His contract is only for one year. Now I wish they had signed Manning. If the Clowns would have paid him they would have seen that he is a QB’s best friend coming out of the backfield catching passes! I wish the Cowboys could have got him

  71. Woah guys, yeah he had a bad season last season, but give the guy a chance. Jamal Charles and Peyton Hillis would be an excellent one-two punch assuming they both stay on the field.

  72. Daboll knows how to use Hillis, unlike Patsy Murmur.

    The most anemic offensive in the league just lost our best offensive player.

    I’ve been an H&H apologist up to now, but I do not understand this at all.

    I understand that you build through the draft, but on a team with as many holes as ours, the draft is NOT ENOUGH.

    Heckert’s anti-free agency policy is being carried to the point of DOGMA. We’ve done NOTHING to improve this team on the offensive side of the ball. And now the offensive just became significantly WEAKER.

    HECKERT – AT WHAT POINT DO YOU ADMIT TO YOURSELF THAT HARDESTY CAN’T PLAY?!!!!!! You just lost the one offensive spark this team has showed in the last 32 games.

    You don’t let a player like this walk when you’ve got this many holes to fill.

    NOW WE HAVE TO BURN A DRAFT PICK ON A ROOKIE RUNNING BACK!!!

    But hey, at least we signed Frostee Rucker?

    WTF?!!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    w.t.f.

  73. Sure he was great when healthy and had his head on. However, the Browns only won 5 games during his breakout year.

    His injuries and antics last year probably cost the Browns a few wins.

    He is not worth 3 million for one year so good luck to him and good riddance. GO BROWNS!

  74. mikemcdorman says: Mar 15, 2012 6:20 AM

    Heckert’s anti-free agency policy is being carried to the point of DOGMA. We’ve done NOTHING to improve this team on the offensive side of the ball. And now the offensive just became significantly WEAKER.

    —————————————————

    Who says that the Browns are done building the DEFENSIVE side of the ball? I would not be surprised if they take Claiborne at #4. Do you have inside info on the Browns plans? Maybe after the defense is done, THEN they’ll start looking to rebuild the offense. I don’t see the Browns doing all that great again this year, but that could set us up to grab Matt Barkley and a kick-ass WR next year.
    But, since you seem to know more than Holmgren and Heckert, why aren’t YOU in the front office?

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