In 2025, a fiery rivalry between an Olympic sprint king Noah Lyles and an NFL superstar Tyreek Hill has reignited the age-old debate, and it’s playing out as much on social media as it is on the stopwatch.
After claiming his fourth consecutive 60m victory at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in February, world champion Noah Lyles sent a message loud and clear to NFL speedster Tyreek Hill, both literally and figuratively.
Holding up a bib reading “Tyreek could never,” Lyles doubled down in his post-race interview with NBC Sports.
“Everybody says they’re going to be the world’s fastest, but when it comes down to it, you’ve got to be the winner every time, and every time I show up to the biggest moments, I win.”
Cheetah Strikes Back
Tyreek Hill, nicknamed “Cheetah” for his electrifying speed on the football field, didn’t take it lightly. Hill, who once casually called out Lyles after his Olympic triumph, had turned the occasional banter into a full-blown rivalry.
“This has been an ongoing thing for quite some time now,” Hill admitted.
“I’ve been very adamant to show people what real, true speed looks like.”
On June 13, in a surprise appearance at the Last Chance Sprint Series in Los Angeles, Hill fired back. Competing in the 100m, an event Lyles has yet to contest this season, Hill arrived with a bold message of his own. Holding up a piece of paper reading “NOAH COULD NEVER,” the Miami Dolphins wide receiver not only talked the talk but ran the run, clocking an impressive 10.15 seconds (+1.2 m/s wind).
For context, that mark shattered his decade-old personal best and would have qualified him for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, ranking him as the 30th-fastest American sprinter this year.
While track purists debate whether that time measures up to elite global standards, one thing is undeniable, Hill is not just jawing for clout. He’s putting up numbers.
Noah Lyles’ Mission for Clarity
Despite the war of words, Noah Lyles has made it clear this rivalry means more than social media clicks. In a candid May interview with Cam Newton on the Funky Friday Podcast, the Olympic champion explained why he’s eager to face Hill head-to-head.
“As a kid, I’ve watched him do this for years, call out the next fast guy. And I knew, if he ever put my name in his mouth, we racing,” Lyles revealed.
For the sprinter, it’s not about protecting track and field’s reputation or chasing headlines. It’s about eliminating doubt.
“If we’re over here claiming to be the fastest people in the world, but we only race other track athletes, how are people going to know how fast we really are?” Lyles reasoned.
The Showdown Ahead
Both stars have confirmed plans to settle the score in a head-to-head race scheduled for sometime this spring or summer, before Lyles’ appearance at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships beginning July 31. While the venue remains under wraps, the anticipation continues to grow.
Whether Hill’s impressive 100m mark signals a serious threat to Lyles or simply adds fuel to the rivalry’s entertainment value is yet to be seen. But for now, the track world, and the NFL, are watching closely.
For now, Noah Lyles holds the official accolades, world titles, and Olympic medals. But if Tyreek Hill can back his bravado in an official matchup, he just might sprint his way into the conversation.