How Josh Downs’ Chiefs arrival raises fresh questions about Tyreek Hill’s future in Kansas City (Getty Images)
Hill was found liable for two counts of battery in October, tied to incidents in 2024 and 2025 involving his ex-wife, Lakeeta Vaccaro Hill.
His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said Hill’s return is delayed because he is not medically cleared, a hurdle expected to fall in the next “few weeks”. Downs will line up next to Rashee Rice, the team’s top receiver, and Travis Kelce . For Mahomes, that means a dependable option underneath, which is where Downs works best. He is quick and shifty, but he is not a deep threat. Hill is a different animal. He is an ultra-fast All-Pro who also runs a full route tree, so on paper the two barely overlap. Mahomes gets something else from this. Rice and Kelce give him proven targets, and Downs adds a slot option who can win quickly on short throws. That is a floor-raising move. Hill would be a ceiling-raising one, and ceilings only count if the team is still playing in January. Kansas City still has a gap to fill. Worthy is expected to be out, so the Chiefs must still start one of Royals or Allen. Downs is a short-term answer to that. Hill is not available yet. Then there is the league office. A personal conduct policy case is ongoing. The minimum suspension for domestic violence is six weeks if he is found in violation, and given the allegations it could run longer. Add the weeks he still needs for medical clearance and the math gets ugly fast. The regular season could be mostly gone before Hill ever suits up. That makes him a playoffs-or-bust idea, unless the league again decides not to suspend him, as it once did.