Kansas City, United States.- Los Kansas City Chiefstwo-time defending champions of the Super Bowl, they will acquire the wide receiver DeAndre Hopkinsthree-time All-Pro, Tennessee Titanslooking to reinforce a position group that has been devastated by injuries.
The teams have not officially announced the trade.
The Chiefs are sending a conditional fifth-round pick to the Titans, according to NFL Networkwhile Tennessee is assuming part of Hopkins’ salary. That was an important point for the Chiefs, who have very little cap space.
The receiver arrives from Tennessee
The head coach of the Chiefs, Andy Reiddeclined to acknowledge the trade before practice Wednesday, saying only that general manager Brett Veach was “dealing with all of that.” When pressed about the exchange, Reid said with a slight smile: “I don’t know anything.”
Chiefs lost wide receiver Marquise Brownone of their major free agent signings, due to shoulder surgery before the start of the season.
The Sophomore Star Rashee Rice suffered a season-ending knee injury last month against the Chargersand veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster He is out after injuring his hamstring in last Sunday’s win over the 49ers.
They are coveted
Hopkins is the third high-profile wide receiver to be traded in just over a week.
Davante Adams was the first to move last Tuesday, going from the Raiders to the Jets for a conditional third-round draft pick next year and reuniting with Aaron Rodgershis former quarterback in Green Bay.
Hours later, the Bills acquired Amari Cooper and a sixth-round pick next year from the Browns for a third-round pick along with a seventh-round pick in 2026.
Mahomes and Reid are surely happy with this announcement
Hopkins, 32, had just 15 receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown in his second season at Tennessee. But Hopkins is a proven star (943 receptions for 12,528 yards and 79 touchdowns in a career spent primarily in Arizona and Houston) and has a versatile skill set that should fit well in Reid’s complex offensive system.
Hopkins also has an expiring contract, meaning the cash-strapped Chiefs won’t take on any salary beyond this season. That was crucial to any trade they made given the number of pending free agents they have on the roster.
It’s already customary
This is the third straight season the Chiefs have traded for wide receiver help. They acquired Kadarius Toney of the Giants two years ago, although he was cut before this season, since Mecole Hardman of the Jets last season.
The Chiefs will try to introduce Hopkins to enough of the playbook so he can help as early as Sunday against the Raiders in Las Vegas. But it could be several weeks before you’re familiar enough with it to have a genuine impact.
However, that’s not a problem for the Chiefs. The only undefeated team left in the NFL at 6-0, they are seeking a much bigger prize: Mahomes and company are trying to win an unprecedented third consecutive Lombardi Trophy in February.
Travis Kelce is one of the Chiefs’ best weapons
The Chiefs won their second straight Super Bowl by beating the 49ers last February, despite a receiving corps that was among the worst in the NFL. And although Chiefs general manager Brett Veach tried to solve the problem by signing Brown and drafting Xavier Worthy in the first round, their injury situation this season had left them in a familiar predicament.
The Chiefs still have productive tight ends Travis Kelce and Noah Gray, but they were preparing to play Worthy this week alongside Hardman, veteran Justin Watson and disappointing former second-round pick Skyy Moore.
Hopkins provides a massive upgrade to that group for a team that has championship expectations.
Source: Tribune
