With the Chiefs moving on from receiver Tyreek Hill, quarterback Patrick Mahomes will have to find a new primary target at receiver in 2022.
Mahomes is working out with his receivers in Texas at the start of the Chiefs’ offseason program, with their meetings held virtually. But as the QB gets acclimated to an offense without Hill, he admitted to reporters on Monday that his initial reaction was “a little bit of shock.”
“Even though you knew that this was a possibility,” Mahomes said, via James Palmer of NFL Media, “just playing with a guy you’ve played with and built a friendship with over the last six years, it definitely way something that … you didn’t want him just to leave more for the … just being able to hang out in the locker room and do that stuff than the actual on-the-field stuff.
“But you’re happy for him. He got a great contract and obviously he’s back where he has a house in the offseason and around a lot of his family and stuff like that. I wish the best for him.”
Mahomes added that once he knew the trade was going through, his attitude was, “We’ve got to keep rolling.”
“It’s how it is in this league,” Mahomes said. “It’s as much a business as much as it is about your friendships and stuff like that. So, we know in order to have success in this league you have got to evolve and keep getting better. I got with these new receivers as quickly as possible and try and build that so we can have success when we get going this year.”
While head coach Andy Reid said he doesn’t expect Kansas City’s offense to look significantly different without Hill, the receiver did lead the team with 111 receptions and 1,239 yards in 2021.