The NFL’s Top Receiver Spurned the New York Jets, and Here’s Why He Did It

Tyreek Hill was so close to becoming a New York Jet, he even admitted it.

The wide receiver grew into a star while with the Kansas City Chiefs, and if he isn't the top wideout in football, at worst, he's in the top-three. With that kind of talent, comes a payday, and the Chiefs didn't believe they'd be able to afford Hill, given the rest of the talented players on their roster.

So, they decided to move him, and as Hill puts it, him coming to New York "was very close to happening."

Get our free mobile app

Tyreek Hill Explains Reason He Chose Miami Over New York for Trade

In a story written in The New York Post, Miami Dolphins' star wide receiver Tyreek Hill admitted that he nearly became a New York Jet, and if it hadn't been for a certain financial barrier, he probably would've been wearing green-and-white this season.

So, what was the barrier that kept the deal from happening? According to Hill, it was the state tax in the state of New Jersey, compared to his current home in Florida.

For those who do not know, allow me to present you with a few numbers. There are no state income taxes in Florida, which allows all employees, including athletes, to take home more of their salary than a state with income taxes.

One of those states is New Jersey, where Hill would've been considered an employee should he have been traded to the Jets. The Post explains that individuals who take home more than $5 million per year get taxed 10.75 percent of their salary.

Hill's 2022 salary is set at $30 million. When you do the math, that's a seven-figure check being written to the State of New Jersey, and that was enough to deter Hill from accepting a deal to New York.

Was that really the only reason, though?

When you weigh some of the other factors, Hill's move to Miami makes more sense than a prospective move to New York. Should he have chose the Jets, he would be coming to a team that has a second-year quarterback who hasn't yet established his credibility as a starter in the NFL.

The team itself is coming off of a four-win season, and there are questions as to whether the head coach and general manager are fit to lead in the long-term.

Meanwhile, he heads to Miami, with a quarterback with more experience, and a team that won nine games a season ago. Though he's playing under a rookie head coach, Mike McDaniel comes from an offensive background, moving from wide receiver's coach to offensive coordinator, before being hired by the Dolphins.

Unfortunately for fans of the New York Jets, this decision may have happened anyway, regardless of how the taxes ended up working out.