All hail the Chiefs. The defending champs are flexing their muscles. The Kansas City Chiefs are joining the wide receiver sweepstakes with a season-altering splash on Wednesday morning.
The Chiefs are finalizing a trade with the Tennessee Titans to acquire All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
Rapoport went on to say that the deal is for a conditional fifth-round pick that can become a fourth-rounder, and the Titans is expected to be on the hook for a portion of Hopkins’ remaining salary.
ESPN initially reported the news.
Hopkins is earning a ‘get out of jail free’ card because the Titans are going nowhere fast with only one win on the season. He was always the most logical trade candidate to help fill the Chiefs’ glaring void at the receiver spot. The big-play wideout known for his ability to haul in contested catches started the season slowly, coming off an injury, but proved he still has a lot left in the tank and can win one-on-one matchups. His propensity to snatch the pigskin in tight coverage has not diminished even at the age of 32.
The Chiefs were just one of the teams in the running to sign Hopkins last season after his release from the Arizona Cardinals, however the Titans sweetened the pot for his services. Now, Kansas City has snagged their guy.
Adding the five-time Pro Bowler is a huge move for the undefeated Chiefs (6-0), as they chase an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl. Kansas City’s offseason plan to remake their receiver corps went up in smoke.
Markese ‘Hollywood’ Brown was injured in the first preseason game. Rashee Rice suffered a knee injury in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Last, but certainly not least, JuJu Smith-Schuster went down with a knee injury last week in the rematch against the San Francisco 49ers.
The injuries left the Chiefs’ receiver room in disarray, leaning on speedy rookie Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman, and Skyy Moore. In Week 7, backup tight end Noah Gray led Kansas City with 66 yards on four catches in a win over the 49ers, 28-18.
Embed from Getty ImagesHopkins has 173 yards and one touchdown on 15 catches in six games this season. He ranked second on the Titans in receiving yards (Calvin Ridley, 183). Tennessee does not have a single pass catcher with 200 receiving yards on the season. For perspective, 49ers No. 3 receiver Jauan Jennings had more yards in one game (175) than Hopkins has in the entire 2024 campaign. The passing game has been dismal to say the least for the Titans in Brian Callahan’s first season with Will Levis and Mason Rudolph under center. So, Hopkins, in the final year of his contract, was a useless piece.
The Titans will move on from this chapter with Ridley and Tyler Boyd atop their depth chart.
The willingness for Tennessee to eat some of Hopkins’ contract helped push the deal over the finish line for the Chiefs, who sit in the bottom quarter in terms of cap space, according to Over The Cap.
The Chiefs have gotten off to a 6-0 start despite the offense’s struggles to sustain drives and pile-up points. Patrick Mahomes has just one 300-plus-yard passing game on the season through six games. Despite being out for two games, Rice still leads Chiefs. in receiving yards.
With the lack of threats on the perimeter, teams have been able to smother star tight end Travis Kelce, taking away Mahomes’ security blanket for the lions share of the season. Worthy has shown burst of excellence with his burning speed, but the rookie is still experiencing growing pains. The Chiefs spent the bulk of the past two years patching working the receiver room together, depending on the magic and chemistry of Mahomes and Kelce to fill in the gaps. But the rash of injuries this year forced general manager Brett Veach to make a move.
Adding Hopkins to the mix gives Mahomes a number one target who can win on the outside and slots the rest of the unit into more favorable roles. His presence alone allows Worthy to take the top off the field and opens up the middle for Kelce.
The back-to-back Super Bowl champs and the only undefeated team left in the NFL just got a whole lot better as they chase a three-peat.
