Lakeeta Vaccaro sued her estranged husband, NFL wide receiver Tyreek Hill, for battery. On Tuesday, a Miami jury found him liable on two counts. The jurors found him not liable on the other eight claims, including continuing domestic violence. They awarded Vaccaro $500,000 in compensatory damages and no punitive damages. Her lawyer had asked for $8 million. The two counts cover a fight in January 2024 and another in April 2025. Hill, 32, is a free agent coming back from a major knee injury. The Kansas City Chiefs have been in touch with his agent. The NFL says it's still reviewing the case under its personal conduct policy.

The Jury Believed Her, and Teams Should Take That Seriously (Evan Marks, Mike Florio, Nick Wright)

Vaccaro's lawyers and some NFL voices say a jury has now found Hill liable for battering his wife, and that should cost him.

A jury found that he battered her twice. "Domestic violence is unacceptable," said Evan Marks, one of Vaccaro's lawyers. "We are satisfied with the jury's verdict." Paul Schwiep, another of her lawyers, said her account was "consistent and it's corroborated by contemporaneous evidence." Vaccaro told jurors that Hill put his hands around her neck in January 2024, during a fight over a postnuptial agreement. She texted her mother about it the next day.

Teams may not want the risk. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said the verdict means Hill more likely than not committed battery twice. He said that could scare off interested teams. Before the verdict, one unnamed general manager told reporter Jason La Canfora that Hill is "a no-go for us." Florio also said the league can still find that Hill broke its conduct policy, even on the claims the jury rejected.

Even a big Chiefs fan doesn't want him back. Nick Wright, an FS1 host and devoted Chiefs fan, said last week that Hill, "in all likelihood, is a bad dude." He pointed to evidence going back to college. In 2015, Hill pleaded guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation of his then-pregnant girlfriend, and the Chiefs drafted him anyway. Wright said he doesn't want Kansas City to sign Hill, though he thinks the team still might.

Hill Mostly Won, and the Case Was About Money (Michael Gottlieb)

Hill's lawyers call it a defense verdict and say the abuse claims grew out of a fight over his money.

His side won eight of ten claims. "From our client's perspective, this was a defense verdict," said Michael Gottlieb, one of Hill's lawyers. "They alleged much more egregious conduct," he said. His team also points out that she got $500,000, far less than the $8 million she wanted.

His lawyers say this started with a divorce. At trial, Gottlieb called the suit "all about money and divorce." He argued that Vaccaro made the abuse claims after she lost a bid for more spousal support. "Her ambition to take his money wasn't met," he told jurors. His team also noted that police never arrested Hill on any of the calls they answered.

Hill admitted a shove and a threat but denied abusing her. Hill testified that he once shoved her and "created a hole in the wall." He said he once told her he was "able to get people to hurt her," and that he's "deeply ashamed" of it. He called the rest of her claims "false allegations." Christi Bright, another of his lawyers, said Hill was "very pleased" to finally tell his side.

He Can Still Play, and the Chiefs Should Want Him (Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce)

Former teammates and some NFL analysts want Hill back in Kansas City now that the Chiefs are short on receivers.

Kansas City needs a receiver. Receiver Tyquan Thornton got hurt in the Chiefs' Oct. 4 win over the Raiders. Then the team reached out to Hill's agent, The Athletic reported. "I'm going after Tyreek Hill right now if I'm the Chiefs," Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson said on a CBS Sports show last week. "If he's healthy, why would you not do it?"

His old teammates want him back. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said it'd be "pretty cool" if Hill returned. Tight end Travis Kelce said, "I'd love to have 'The Cheetah' back in this building." Kyle Long, Hill's teammate on the 2021 Chiefs, called Hill's chemistry with Mahomes "so priceless for the Chiefs." All of them spoke before the verdict.

His agent says a deal is still possible. Drew Rosenhaus, Hill's agent, said Tuesday that the situation is "fluid" and that "a deal could happen any time." He has said Hill could be ready to play by November.

Where This Lands

Vaccaro's side says a jury has now found Hill liable for battering his wife twice, and some in the league say that should keep him off a roster. Hill's lawyers say he beat most of the case and that it was always about money. Chiefs players want him back on a team short on receivers. The NFL still has to finish its own investigation. Its baseline penalty for domestic violence is six games.

Sources