It was supposed to be a contest that blurred the boundary between football and track, between gridiron velocity and Olympic precision. But when Noah Lyles opted out of the proposed matchup against Tyreek Hill, it wasn’t just the race that was called off. It was the anticipation, the curiosity, and, to some extent, the civility. Hill, never one to suppress his instincts, responded not with retreat but with redirection. The sprint, it appears, is still on. Only the opponent has changed. And this time, the stakes carry a new kind of edge.
Instead of racing the three-time world champion, Hill will now face Josephus Lyles, Noah’s younger brother, on June 28 at the ATX Sprint Classic in Texas. The venue may be modest, but the symbolism is substantial. Josephus, an elite sprinter in his own right, will carry more than just his own ambitions into the blocks. He carries, whether by design or by default, the echo of a bout that never materialized. Hill, meanwhile, arrives not merely as a wide receiver dabbling in another sport, but as a man still very much in pursuit of an answer.
And here, the narrative shifts. With Noah Lyles no longer standing in the opposite lane, Hill turned his attention to the younger sibling with a taunt that landed squarely in public view. “Sent his lil bro instead lol,” Hill wrote beneath a social media post. His phrasing was sardonic, unmistakably dismissive, and entirely deliberate. The comment, while brief, added a layer of provocation to what might otherwise have remained a footnote. Hill was never simply chasing a time. He was chasing a moment. And in that moment, he made clear that Josephus Lyles is not just a substitute but a proxy.
The race itself, by any measure, is no stunt. Hill’s 10.15 seconds earlier this month in California was far from symbolic. It was fast. Fast enough to place him among the top thirty sprinters in the country this season, and fast enough, more critically, to meet the Olympic Trials standard had he registered. His performance was not, as skeptics had predicted, an exercise in vanity. It was a viable, credentialed display of track speed. Josephus, who has clocked sub-10.20 performances in the past, will not treat this as a mere exhibition. Both men understand what is at stake. Even if they arrive from different arenas.
So, while Noah Lyles chose discretion, his brother chose the lane. And Tyreek Hill, having been denied the contest he wanted, now seems intent on proving a point through the contest he has. The race on June 28 may not settle every question, but it will speak for itself.
Tyreek Hill slams Noah Lyles with savage Madden rating insult
Tyreek Hill, never one to tread lightly, has once again jabbed at Noah Lyles, this time with a deliberately skewed Madden rating that delivered both insult and implication. On a recent appearance on Johnny Manziel’s Glory Daze podcast, the Miami Dolphins wide receiver was asked to assign a hypothetical Madden rating to the Olympic sprint champion. Hill’s answer was as cutting as it was calculated. He stated, “That man soft as hell. He soft, bro. So, I got to give bro like a 36. And the only reason he got 36 is because his speed going to be a 99.”
TAMPA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 23: Tyreek Hill #10 of the Miami Dolphins looks on during a preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on August 23, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
What began as a seemingly routine segment evolved swiftly into a personal barb. While Hill offered reasonably high projections for others, his tone shifted when Lyles’ name surfaced. The “36” was not chosen at random. Rather, it was underscored with a clear message. In Hill’s estimation, elite speed alone does not earn respect in a sport that demands physical confrontation. The low overall rating was Hill’s way of reducing Lyles’ track accolades to mere sprint times, disconnected from the grit Hill associates with football.
Hill also made clear that his issues with Lyles are not grounded in disrespect for the athlete’s résumé. Quite the opposite. “I got a ton of respect for bro,” he said at the top of the podcast, before undercutting that sentiment with, “I hate the Olympic track-and-field star.” That contradiction, respect layered under rivalry, has become a consistent feature of their uneasy dynamic. Though their race was called off, Hill suggested the contest would still take place, insisting the negotiations continue. Until then, the score remains verbal, and Hill appears determined to keep the upper hand.
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