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While you were sleeping, the Kansas City Chiefs moved to acquire wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans.
So why did Kansas City make the move? We have you covered.
Chiefs-Titans trade terms for Hopkins
First, the trade terms: The Chiefs wanted to avoid surrendering a Day 1 or Day 2 pick, which translates to anything between the first and third rounds.
This made Kansas City pivot away from someone like Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams. Los Angeles is reportedly seeking a second-rounder for his services. In the Hopkins trade, the Chiefs are giving up a fifth-round NFL Draft pick that can become a fourth-round pick based upon certain terms (that part is still being ironed out at the time of this writing).
Salary cap help
The Chiefs were a bit strapped in terms of 2024 salary cap space (our estimates here), so they needed a team that would be willing to work with them. Tennessee was willing to work with Kansas City to reduce that number, though exact details are not known at this time.
It’s worth noting that Chiefs general manager Brett Veach worked with Titans general manager Ran Carthon to pull off the blockbuster trade to send L’Jarius Sneed to Tennessee earlier this year, so the relationship to negotiate a deal like this had already been established.
What Hopkins can do for the Chiefs
Hopkins’ size and weight (listed at 6’1” and 212 pounds) is in the range of wide receivers Rashee Rice (6’1 and 204 pounds) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (6’1” and 215 pounds) — something that was important in whichever player the Chiefs landed upon.
With Rice presumably out for the season (and Smith-Schuster working through a hamstring injury that will see him miss at least Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders), establishing a capable target opposite tight end Travis Kelce was paramount.
“The guy opposite of Kelce ends up being very important”, said head coach Andy Reid on October 16, “that they know how to play the game and can kind of do similar things that Kelce can do. If you can get that, then you’ve got something going offensively that way.
“So, [JuJu Smith-Schuster] did that before, [former WR Byron] Pringle did that before him. We’ve had guys in those spots that could do that, so that’s a positive thing.”
Reid will have a chance to speak specifically speak about Hopkins late Wednesday morning during his usual media appearance. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be next at the podium.
Statistics
To date, the 32-year-old Hopkins has 15 catches for 173 yards and a touchdown on the 2024 season, but it’s worth noting that quarterback Will Levis hasn’t been great for Tennessee. Among quarterbacks with at least 62 dropbacks, Levis has been graded 38th by Pro Football Focus.
Working with Ryan Tannehill for half the season in 2023, Hopkins achieved the seventh 1,000-yard season of his career.
Chiefs depth chart against Las Vegas
With the addition of Hopkins the Chiefs will have five wide receivers active for their Week 8 game against the Raiders: Hopkins, Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman and Skyy Moore.
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