Who says the competition ends after the Olympics? The Paris Olympics might be over, but the track rivalry is far from cooling down! NFL speedster Tyreek Hill and reigning 100-meter Olympic champion Noah Lyles have been throwing shade at each other for days now. Hill, the Miami Dolphins’ lightning-fast wide receiver, has made it crystal clear that he’s no fan of the third-fastest 200-meter sprinter in history.

He even confessed to rooting against Lyles during the Paris Games! But after a war of words and some snarky digs, Lyles—aka the “World’s Fastest Man”—decided to throw down the gauntlet. And now, the 30-year-old “Cheetah” has challenged Lyles to an unconventional race!

While appearing on Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson’s Nightcap podcast, Noah Lyles dismissed Hill. The defending dual world champion didn’t mince his words, pointing out how Hill keeps “dodging” him on the track and “just talking on the internet.” So now, Hill has challenged the 27-year-old to sign a contract for a 50-yard race. Unfortunately, track and field fans aren’t impressed.

That’s because a 50-yard sprint is not standardized in international track and field events as it equals 45.72- meters, far below the 100-meter standard. Surprisingly, it’s an even shorter distance than the indoor 60-meter standard that Tyreek Hill excels in. In 2023, the Dolphins star made headlines at the USATF Masters Indoor Championships, dashing 60- meters in 6.70s. However, Tyreek Hill might be lightning-fast on the football field, but his sprinting times can’t quite match those of Noah Lyles!

Hill’s best 100-meter time is 10.19 seconds, while Lyles, a top sprinter, zips through in 9.79 seconds. In the 200 meters, Hill’s best is 20.14 seconds, but Lyles holds the American record at 19.31 seconds. So, while Hill is incredibly fast, Lyles is clearly in a league of his own. Which is why  Noah Lyles won’t agree to anything else but a 100-meter face-off!

“Would you be willing to race Reek in the 60 or the 100 we got some sponsors to put some money down?” Sharpe asked in the clip on X. However, Lyles made it crystal clear that his challenger needed to step it up to 100-meters. “If you’re serious about it, you’ll see me on track,” said the 6x world champion, which led to Hill’s response. However, the footballer’s bizarre response convinced fans that he may not be serious after all.

Fans are having a field day trolling Tyreek Hill for wanting to race Noah Lyles over a shorter distance!

“How you challenge somebody in their sport and then not wanna do the actual sport?!” one fan questioned Tyreek Hill. Every sport has a standard, Just like the regulation football field is 120 yards (109.8m) long, the minimum distance for outdoor sprinting is 100 meters. This is why the fan found Hill’s request bizarre. Even 2016 Olympic gold medalist David Verburg couldn’t help but take a dig at the footballer.

“50 yards? Is this the 1940s? At this point, run it on a cinder track too,” wrote the 400-meter specialist. While 50-yard dashes are common in track and field, they’re not part of modern competitive events, as 50-yard races only test an athlete’s acceleration. Cinder tracks are also a relic of the past in international events. The modern all-weather turfs proved better acceleration, consistent results, and less strain.

Others had similar questions for the NFL athlete. “This is what confused me. Run the 100! What is 50 yards??” asked a netizen. However, while fans and sprinters criticized the 30-year-old for his unconventional selection, one individual seems to have cracked the code. Unlike the man of his contemporaries, acceleration isn’t Noah Lyles’ strong suit. Even during Lyles’ 100-meter victory in Paris, he was slowest off the starting line, training the field until the 40-meter mark before reaching full acceleration.

So the individual suggested that instead of looking for a cheeky advantage, the 5x All-Pro should switch adversaries. “Let him have @__coleman (Christian Coleman) for that 50(m). Also let @__coleman go ahead and knock that sub 4.1(s) 40 out and let the other sports fast athletes stay in their lane and keep track name out of their mouth,” commented the X-user.

Another netizen caught on to the Super Bowl champ’s tactic. “By Wednesday it will be 10 yards,” wrote the track and field enthusiast. To put things into perspective, Christian Coleman is the current 60-meter world record holder with a time of 6.34s, ahead of Hill’s 6.70s. However, Noah Lyles is faster than the NFL icon across the 60-meter distance as well, with a PB of 6.43s. So, what do you think? Is Tyreek Hill looking to capitalize on Noah Lyles’ weak point to maximize his chances of winning? Tell us in the comments!