If you’re a sports fanatic, it’s nearly impossible to have missed the heated debate between Noah Lyles and Tyreek Hill that’s been dominating headlines lately. The NFL star is eager to prove himself in a sprint showdown against the Olympic champion, but Lyles isn’t convinced, dismissing the challenge as mere bravado and labeling it a ‘one-sided’ feud. As the back-and-forth has dragged on for weeks, new twists and turns have kept fans on the edge of their seats. Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the drama? Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about this electrifying rivalry.

The origin of the Lyles-Hill fiasco

Noah Lyles’ 2023 comment, “World Championships of what? The United States?” spiraled beyond anticipation. From the NBA court, to the NFL ground, the tremors were felt everywhere. But, how did the Miami Dolphins star, Tyreek Hill get dragged into it? Well, when Hill was asked about the track athlete’s claims that Super Bowl winners weren’t World Champs, he had a lot a lot to say.

It seemed that the comment had pushed his buttons, for Hill brought in Lyles’ 200m results from Stade de France and said, “Noah Lyles can’t say nothing after what just happened to him. You know what I’m saying? Didn’t he want to come out and pretend like he’s sick. I feel like that’s that that’s like horseradish.” 

Lyles who was a gold favorite after his 100m performance, erred due to contracting Covid-19 while at the Paris Olympics. Using Lyles’ narrow miss as leverage, Hill also added, “for him to like do that and say that we’re not world champions of like our sport it says a like come on bro, like just speak on what you know about. And that’s track.”

But, what made his words spread like wildfire? On the Up & Adams show, Tyreek Hill made a gutsy claim. When questioned if the former Kansas Chief would like to challenge Lyles, he made a sweeping statement. “I will beat Noah Lyles. I won’t beat him by a lot, but I will beat Noah Lyles.”

Noah Lyles seemed to be unbothered initially

The NFL star seems to slip out of Noah Lyles’ memory quite frequently. Genuinely so or maybe Lyles just gave him a cold shoulder. In a Jomboy Media tweet, he was struggling to recall, “What’s that guy’s… What’s the cheetah guy from football… Well, I can’t remember his name…” Calling out to Mark, Lyles was then reminded that he was Tyreek Hill. Some of the fans labeled Lyles’ act, ‘rage baiting IRL is next-level attention-seeking.’

But, the matter was soon about to get intense. On the Nightcap podcast, when Shannon Sharpe reminded Lyles of  Tyreek, the Florida native mentioned, “Imma be honest I forget his name all the time.” When the ‘come get some’ challenge aspect was cited, Lyles brushed it off. He said, “Tyreek is just chasing clout. Anytime somebody fast comes up, he says he wants to race them. If he really wanted to race people, he would’ve shown up like D.K. Metcalf.” 

Showing no conviction is Hill’s tall challenge, Lyles further added, “The man raced in the 60M this year in the Masters division. The man dodges smoke, I don’t got time for that.” Lyles made sure to exhibit, he was uninterested if Hill was building castles in the air. However, the sprinter will never say no to an actual face-off. Noah Lyles mentioned, “If he’s serious about it, not just talking on the internet…if you’re serioua about it, you’ll see me on the track.”

Tyreek Hill accepts the challenge

And guess who decided to put that on paper? Yes, it was Hill. Reposting a clip of Lyles’ statement, Hill wrote on X, “Sign the contract and lock in that 50 yard race…” Yards? This is when the fans started raising questions about the distance. Some said that Tyreek talking sh*t and then coming out with a 50 is lame.

But, Rai Benjamin looked sure when he said, “Tyreek, you’re not beating Noah in the 100, man.”  However, the possibility of a ‘handicap’ race also sprouted soon.

The handicap race suggestion comes up

The Nightcap podcast became the battleground where the Lyles-Hill rivalry was dissected from all angles. During the livestream, former NFL legend Shannon Sharpe didn’t mince words, stating, “You can’t challenge me in something and then try to set the terms in which you’re challenging me.” Drawing a parallel to the NBA, he added, “If I challenge Steph Curry to a three-point competition, I can’t say, okay, we gonna shoot from 12 feet.” Sharpe’s point was clear: if Hill wants to compete for the title of the fastest man, he can’t dictate conditions that favor him.

However, co-host Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson offered a slightly different perspective. He didn’t dismiss the idea entirely, suggesting that some adjustments might make the race more competitive. “I just know you would have to handicap it a little bit to make it somewhat even,” Johnson proposed. Standing up for Lyles, he added, “Once Noah gets past 50 or 60 yards, ain’t nobody keeping up. I don’t give a f**k how fast you are because he’s built and trained for that as a track athlete.”

Sharpe and Johnson dug deeper into the potential dynamics of such a race. Sharpe suggested, “How about Rick just settle for being the NFL’s fastest man? And that’s in question now with Xavier Worthy in the NFL.” They even entertained the idea of a showdown between Christian Coleman and Tyreek Hill. Sharpe was confident, “Christian Coleman has one of the greatest starts in history; Tyreek is not beating that!” Acknowledging Coleman’s blazing speed, particularly in the 60 meters, Johnson echoed, “You can’t challenge somebody after handicapping.”

The hosts also pondered whether Hill could sustain his speed over a full 100-meter race. While Sharpe acknowledged Hill’s explosive burst, he was skeptical about his ability to maintain that speed for the entire distance, especially against someone like Lyles. Meanwhile, Noah Lyles remained unbothered by the speculation and drama. Speaking to NBC, Lyles opened up about the freshly brewing ‘beef,’ stating, “It can’t be beef because it’s one-sided.” However, Lyles didn’t stop there. He soon made another firm declaration, emphasizing his stance against running anything short of the full 100 meters for the title of the fastest man.

Noah Lyles gives the ultimate distance verdict

The rivalry between Noah Lyles and Tyreek Hill took a playful yet intriguing turn on the Dan Patrick Show, where the host was eager to see the two speedsters face off. Dan Patrick, always one for a show, suggested, “How about you both wear football uniforms?” Lyles, however, wasn’t amused by the idea, dismissing it as too gimmicky for his taste. Patrick, not one to back down, floated the idea of a 50-yard dash—something he thought Hill would prefer since, even if Hill lost, the shorter distance would keep things close. When pressed on whether he’d entertain such a challenge, Lyles set the record straight.

“I’m not right,” Lyles began, clearly drawing a line in the sand. “Look, he challenged me, so that means he wants the crown of the fastest man, so you have to race the race that gives you the crown.” Lyles made it clear that if Hill wants to compete for the title of the fastest man, they would need to do it on the track, running the full 100 meters. “There might be leeway for adjustments,” Lyles added, “but if you think we’re running anything that has ‘yards’ in it, you’re sorely mistaken.”

For those hoping for some middle ground, Lyles mentioned he was open to discussions. He was happy to talk, but he couldn’t resist throwing in a few more digs at Hill. It’s clear that Lyles isn’t letting this rivalry die down anytime soon.

Noah Lyles’ ain’t getting past this too soon

Later in the show, Patrick kept pushing, asking Lyles if he’d put his gold medal on the line against Hill’s Super Bowl ring in a 100-meter dash. Lyles wasn’t having it. With a smirk, he shot back, “I don’t want his Super Bowl ring!” The retort sent Patrick into a fit of laughter, but Lyles was serious. He reiterated that he was more than content with his Olympic medals and had no desire for Hill’s football accolades.

It seems Lyles’ jabs at Tyreek Hill aren’t fading anytime soon. In a recent Instagram reel shared by Nike Prefontaine Classic, RunnerSpace, and Track Town USA, Lyles was asked to “Name a celebrity that would be a fast sprinter.” Pausing for a moment, Lyles pretended to struggle. “Gosh, I always forget his name. The football player. The one that thinks he’s fast. The Cheetah something…” Only after a prompt did he ‘remember’: Tyreek Hill.

Was this another dig at the NFL star? What do you make of this ongoing feud? Share your thoughts below!