Chiefs Trade for DeAndre Hopkins from Titans in Major Deal
The Kansas City Chiefs have finalized a trade with the Tennessee Titans to acquire wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, the team announced on Thursday. In exchange, the Titans will receive a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which could elevate to a fourth-round selection if the Chiefs reach the Super Bowl and Hopkins plays 60% of the snaps with the team. As part of the deal, the Titans will also take on $2.5 million of Hopkins’ remaining $8 million salary for this season.
This trade comes at a crucial time for the Chiefs, who have been dealing with injuries among their wide receivers. Rashee Rice suffered a right knee injury in Week 4 that ended his season, while Marquise “Hollywood” Brown was already sidelined due to a shoulder injury sustained in the preseason. Additionally, JuJu Smith-Schuster is out for this week’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders due to a hamstring injury, and Skyy Moore was placed on injured reserve Thursday with a core muscle issue.
Hopkins, a seasoned 12-year veteran, is currently in the final season of a two-year contract he signed with the Titans in July 2023. He experienced a torn MCL during the offseason but managed to return in time for the season opener. So far in the 2024 season, Hopkins has recorded 15 receptions for 173 yards and one touchdown across six games. A five-time Pro Bowler, he has also played for the Houston Texans and the Arizona Cardinals throughout his career.
With this addition, quarterback Patrick Mahomes gains another reliable target. Mahomes expressed “extreme confidence” in the Chiefs’ receiving corps last week, particularly after the departures of marquee players like Davante Adams, who was traded to the Jets, and Amari Cooper, who was acquired by the Bills. Despite this confidence, the Chiefs’ current healthy wide receivers, rookie Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson, have combined for just 22 receptions through Week 7.
“The biggest thing is just getting with the coaches,” Mahomes said on Wednesday. “The coaches do a great job of getting guys up to speed, and you’ve seen that already this year. I just try to be on the same page as the guys that are in there.”
The Chiefs have had success in acquiring wide receivers before the trade deadline in the past two seasons. They traded for Kadarius Toney from the New York Giants in 2022, and Toney made a significant impact, scoring a touchdown and assisting another during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVII victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Last year, they traded for Mecole Hardman from the New York Jets, who caught the winning touchdown in overtime of Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers.
On the other side of the trade, the 1-5 Titans are making significant roster changes. They also dealt linebacker Ernest Jones IV to the Seattle Seahawks for linebacker Jerome Baker and a fourth-round pick. Coach Brian Callahan acknowledged the need for these changes, emphasizing the difficult reality of the NFL and the team’s current situation.
“It’s the reality of the NFL business, and when you’re in a spot that we’re in, one that we didn’t want to be in,” Callahan stated. “When you get to these juncture points in the season, things like this happen. That’s just the cycle, how it works. And we’re in a spot right now trying to find a way to dig out.”
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