Chiefs Land DeAndre Hopkins Amid Receiver Crisis

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The Kansas City Chiefs have officially traded for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans, as announced by the team on Thursday. In exchange, the Titans will receive a 2025 fifth-round pick, which could turn into a fourth-round pick if the Chiefs reach the Super Bowl and Hopkins plays at least 60% of the snaps with Kansas City. Additionally, Tennessee will cover $2.5 million of Hopkins’ remaining salary of $8 million for this season.

The Chiefs had been facing a shortage of wide receivers since Rashee Rice suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 4. The team also lost Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to a shoulder injury in the preseason, and JuJu Smith-Schuster is out for Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders due to a hamstring injury. Skyy Moore was placed on injured reserve with a core muscle injury on the same day as the trade.

Hopkins, who is in the last year of his two-year contract with the Titans, has made a significant impact despite recovering from a torn MCL before the season. In the 2024 season, he has recorded 15 receptions for 173 yards and one touchdown over six games. The five-time Pro Bowler previously played for the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals.

This addition provides quarterback Patrick Mahomes with another key target, especially after the Chiefs traded away top receivers Davante Adams and Amari Cooper. Mahomes expressed confidence in the remaining receiving corps but noted that their top healthy wideouts, rookie Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson, have combined for just 22 receptions through Week 7.

Mahomes emphasized the importance of developing chemistry with new teammates, stating, “I just try to be on the same page as the guys that are in there.” The Chiefs have successfully bolstered their receiving options ahead of trade deadlines in previous seasons, including acquiring Kadarius Toney in 2022 and Mecole Hardman last year, both of whom contributed to the team’s Super Bowl victories.

For the struggling Titans, who now sit at 1-5 after also trading linebacker Ernest Jones IV to the Seattle Seahawks, coach Brian Callahan acknowledged the need for a shift in strategy. “When you get to these juncture points in the season, things like this happen,” he explained. “We’re trying to find a way to dig out.”

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