The Kansas City Chiefs, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, are working to fill a critical gap ahead of the NFL trade deadline by acquiring wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
In exchange for Hopkins, a five-time Pro Bowler, the Chiefs are expected to send a conditional fifth-round draft pick in 2025 to Tennessee. This pick could potentially upgrade to a fourth-rounder if the Chiefs reach the Super Bowl and Hopkins participates in at least 60% of the snaps.
Despite remaining the last undefeated team in the NFL, the Chiefs are facing significant challenges at the receiver position due to injuries to players like Marquise Brown, Rashee Rice, and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Currently, quarterback Patrick Mahomes has only two healthy receivers available as trade day approaches: rookie Xavier Worthy and veteran Justin Watson.
This season, Hopkins has recorded 15 receptions for 173 yards and one touchdown. He has had three games with just one catch for the struggling 1-5 Titans, with his standout performance occurring in a loss to the Green Bay Packers, where he caught six passes for 73 yards and a touchdown.
With Hopkins joining forces with tight end Travis Kelce, the Chiefs aim to establish a formidable 1-2 passing combination in their pursuit of becoming the first team to secure three consecutive Super Bowl victories.
Kansas City’s next challenge is a road game against divisional rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders.