Noah Lyles: NFL Speedster Keen on Racing Olympic Champion While Downplaying Tyreek Hill

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver and kick return specialist Rashid Shaheed has weighed in on the spirited rivalry between Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill and Olympic champion Noah Lyles, expressing his own desire to test his speed against the world's best.

The debate over who is faster has been a hot topic since Lyles, a Team USA track star, captured gold in the 100 meters at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The sprinter and Hill have since engaged in a public back-and-forth, with both confidently claiming superiority.

A highly anticipated 50-yard race between the two speedsters was planned for last year in New York's Times Square, but the showdown was ultimately cancelled after Noah Lyles withdrew for personal reasons, leaving the question unanswered.

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While Shaheed's immediate goal is winning Super Bowl LX with the Seahawks, he did not hide his enthusiasm for a potential race against Noah Lyles in the future.

"For sure, not only against him, but anybody who thinks that they're faster than me," Shaheed told Mirror US Sports in an exclusive interview when asked about a potential matchup with Lyles.

However, when pressed on whether he genuinely believes he could defeat the decorated Olympian on the track, Shaheed responded with a laugh.

"No, I can't say on camera that I can, man," he admitted. "[Lyles] would probably see it and get on me about it. But no, that would be fun to compete against, obviously, an Olympic champion, one of the best to ever do it. I'm honestly a big fan, so shout out to him."

Shaheed is no slouch himself. During an 87-yard touchdown in Week 5 of the 2025 season, he was clocked by CBS at a blistering 22.72 mph, the fastest speed recorded on an offensive touchdown all year.

When asked how he would fare against Hill, a two-time state track champion in high school, the 27-year-old was more confident. "I think I got him, yeah. In a 200, specifically," Shaheed stated.

Shaheed's speed is rooted in a strong track and field background. Both of his parents were collegiate runners; his father ran the 100m, 200m, and relays at Arizona State, while his mother competed in the 400-meter hurdles at San Diego State.

He explained that his parents encouraged him to run track to enhance his athletic abilities for other sports. "They didn't really push for me to do it, but they let me know at a young age that it would help with my later goals," Shaheed said.

"They always knew I wanted to play football, but they knew that that would help... My dad, he's my trainer and speed coach, so that kind of just came along with it."

Shaheed excelled on the track, winning San Diego section titles in the 200m and 400m at Mt. Carmel High School. However, he chose to focus on football during his sophomore year.

"That's when I kind of knew that I could be something with football, at least take it to the collegiate level," he recalled. "I knew that I could also do that in track, but hopefully, whichever school I went to, hopefully they would allow me to do both, and I would kind of go from there."

Now on the verge of competing for a Super Bowl ring, it's clear Shaheed's decision to prioritise the gridiron has paid off.