With Super Bowl 59 in the rearview and the NFL offseason in full swing, trite topics are all that is left to discuss. One such topic is a race between Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Olympic gold medalist runner Noah Lyles.
On the Feb. 19 episode of Pro Football Talk, NFL insider Mike Florio discussed the planned race between Hill and Lyles, which could be impacted if the NFL decides to step in.
NFL Insider Mike Florio Provides Take On Tyreek Hill-Noah Lyles Race
Florio believes the NFL, specifically Hill’s Dolphins, will put an end to the race before it begins.
“It’s funny because Lyles says people have said to him ‘it’s beneath you to race Hill,'” said Florio.
But Florio said it’s the reverse. “No, no, no, no, no. It’s beneath Hill to race Lyles. I think the kids call it ‘clout chasing.’ Lyles is trying to take some of the notoriety, the fame, the popularity of football and siphon it away to track and field.
“Once the NFL figures that out, they’re going to shut that s*** down. All the Dolphins have to say to Tyreek is, ‘Read your contract.'”
Miami Dolphins’ Hill Issued Bold Challenge to Lyles in Heated Exchange on Social Media
The back-and-forth between Lyles and the Dolphins All-Pro started when Hill took issue with Lyles’ comments about American sports teams calling themselves “world champions” despite only competing domestically. Unimpressed by Lyles’ remarks, Hill issued a bold challenge: a head-to-head race. Lyles, who has dominated global sprinting for years, was happy to oblige.
“This has been an ongoing thing for quite some time now, and I mean, everybody’s seen the back and forth on social media,” Hill, 30, told People magazine. “I’ve been very adamant to show people what real, true speed looks like.”
Hill has long argued that elite NFL players could compete with the world’s best track athletes if they focused on sprinting full-time. He sees this race as a chance to prove that point.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for [Lyles],” Hill said. “But I feel like I’ve got to do this for the guys that play my sport. A lot of us did run track at some point, and we can come and take over your sport at any moment if we really wanted to.”
Despite the competitive fire, both athletes insist it’s all in good fun.
“As long as we ain’t putting people’s mamas in it, I don’t care,” Hill joked. “We can go as far as far can be. We’re here for a good time.”
On the other hand, Lyles had a simple message: “If you’re gonna talk the talk, you gotta walk the walk.”
Lyles Mocks Hill With Sign After Winning New Balance Indoor Grand Prix Title
Lyles, 27, recently won his fourth straight 60m title at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, celebrating with a sign that read, “Tyreek Could Never.”
Noah Lyles wrote a little message on his bib for NFL star Tyreek Hill: “Tyreek could never.”
He held the bib up to his face after winning the NBIGP title with a 6.52🔥 pic.twitter.com/F2Pqjp63Vr
— Canadian Running (@CanadianRunning) February 2, 2025
When asked about the sign, Lyles didn’t mince words.
“I think it speaks for itself,” Lyles told People. “Everybody says that they’re gonna be the world’s fastest, but when it comes down to it, you gotta be the winner every time, each and every time. And every time I show up to the biggest moments, I win.”
Lyles, who famously won his 100 meter Olympic gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics by just a millisecond with a personal-best time of 9.79 seconds, has plenty of reason to be confident.
Hill, who ran track in college, recorded a best 100m time of 10.19 seconds. And while Hill still has elite speed, Lyles consistently clocks between 6.4 and 6.5 seconds in the 60m dash — significantly faster than Hill’s last official track appearance, where he ran 6.70.
“That’s why I’m the world’s fastest,” Lyles continued. “I did it at the Olympics. I do it at world championships. I do it wherever it’s needed to be done. And if I gotta go down and, you know, beat up on Tyreek to prove that I’m the world’s fastest, then it’s gonna be done.”