ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Chiefs head coach Andy Reid didn't mince words in welcoming Tyreek Hill back to the club, saying he trusts the talented wide receiver and stands ready “to go forward in a positive way.”
“We're comfortable with Tyreek coming back here, looking forward to bringing him back here and having an opportunity to get back doing what he loves to do,” Reid said as the first group of players reported for the club's training camp at Missouri Western State University.
Hill expects to report for camp on Friday along with the club's other veterans. That comes one week after the NFL announced it concluded its investigation regarding a child abuse allegation involving Hill's family. The league declined to impose any suspension on Hill, and the Chiefs shortly afterwards announced Hill would be welcomed at the opening of training camp.
Reid said he kept his distance after the club and Hill agreed to exclude the player from team activities on April 25. That decision come down hours after an audio recording of Hill and his former fiancee aired on KCTV.
“He had enough things that he had to deal with besides me,” Reid said. “I just let things work through it and I didn't try to influence either way on anything.”
Reid said he reached out to Hill after Friday's announcement, speaking to him on the phone and spending “quite a bit of time with him.”
“He's remorseful that's he's had to put us all through what we went through and what he had to go through,” Reid said. “That's a sensitive situation. He wants to get back and he wants to do what he needs to do to be a father and to be a player here. He's very conscious of that.”
While Hill did not receive a suspension, the league's statement indicate he is subject to conditions set by the courts, commissioner Roger Goodell and the Chiefs, including “clinical evaluation and therapeutic intervention.”
“He has some obligations he will take care of as he goes,” Reid said. “I'm not going to get into all that.”
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he kept in touch with Hill during the league's investigation.
“We stayed in touch with him as much as possible and let that stuff handle itself,” Mahomes said. “It was good to welcome him back now and have him a part of the team, and we can build the team that we want to build.”
With the investigation closed for now, Hill can shift his focus back on the field. He missed much of the team's offseason program, including all 10 organized team activity practices and the three-day minicamp.
“He'll have a little catching up to do,” Reid said. “We put in a few new things. He and Patrick have worked together, and the receiving corps is very close and they've all been together. I'm sure they're catching him up on stuff.”
Mahomes said that process included throwing to Hill during sessions with the team's other pass catchers.
“He's in an excited mindset, I guess you would say,” Mahomes said. “He's ready to be out here and be a part of the guys and get to enjoy this.”
Rookie wide receiver Mecole Hardman said he's also happy to see Hill return to the club as a role model on the field.
“I'm ready to learn from him, watching him practice,” Hardman said. “Everything he can teach me, I'm going to learn and hopefully we can go into the season ready to go.”
When it comes to the new wrinkles in the offense, Reid says “until you go out there and do it, you haven't done it.” He holds no concerns, however, that Hill can quickly whip himself into playing condition.
“He's one of those guys that's always in great shape,” Reid said. “He's got that speed and endurance, which is very unique.”
While Mahomes acknowledged he's pleased to have Hill back on the field as a offensive option, he's also happy for more personal reasons.
“He is a good friend of mine and someone that I work with a lot,” Mahomes said. “So I'm excited to have him back out here with us working and building that chemistry even more."
