Receiver Reinforcements: Chiefs Acquire DeAndre Hopkins via Trade
- Lewis Green
- Oct 23, 2024
- 2 min read
The Kansas City Chiefs have traded a conditional fourth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for 32-year-old wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. It’s finally happening, folks!
The Kansas City Chiefs have traded a conditional fourth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for 32-year-old wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. It’s finally happening, folks!
After a season of anticipation following Rashee Rice’s unfortunate exit in Week 4 (thanks to an unintentional hit by his own quarterback), the Chiefs' passing game has felt a little... thin. And with Hollywood Brown still on the mend, rehabbing for a potential playoff return, it was clear the Chiefs needed a spark. Well, this morning, they got just that.
You know that iconic movie scene where Andy Dufresne is crawling through the Shawshank State Penitentiary sewage pipe to escape his life sentence? That’s exactly how I picture DeAndre Hopkins making his way out of Nashville and leaving Will Levis behind, to team up with Patrick Mahomes and co in Kansas City.
If you’d have told someone back in 2018 that Kareem Hunt, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, DeAndre Hopkins, and JuJu Smith-Schuster would team up in Kansas City, they probably would’ve predicted the Chiefs would have snagged a couple of Super Bowl trophies in a row. And hey, they’ve done just that!
Budget-Friendly Star Power
Hopkins will cost Kansas City around $2.5 million this year, with the Titans kindly picking up half of his roughly $5.3 million salary. Now that’s classic Brett Veach magic—adding an elite player without breaking the bank! But the real question remains: how does D-Hop fit into this high-flying Chiefs offense?
The New Look D-Hop
Let’s be real: DeAndre Hopkins isn’t going to be a deep threat on every play. At 32, he’s lost a step, but what he lacks in straight-line speed, he makes up for with unmatched experience in the X-role (the outside receiver position). And don’t be shocked if we see him operating out of the slot—where his crafty route-running and YAC ability can really shine.
Hopkins should be a game-changer in the red zone, where his experience and sure-fire hands can finally help the Chiefs convert those crucial touchdowns. Let’s face it, Kansas City has needed red-zone help for a while now, and D-Hop is the kind of security blanket that magically appears when Mahomes needs to punch it in.
Third Down Magic
On third downs, where defenses tighten up, Hopkins is the type of receiver who’s always open—even when he’s covered. His jump-ball ability is a total game-changer, giving Mahomes a reliable target that we haven’t really seen since those dreamy hypothetical scenarios involving three-time All-Training Camp receiver Justyn Ross. You know, the one we all keep imagining!
The Road Ahead
The Chiefs likely view this trade as giving Hopkins 11 games to find his groove before the postseason kicks off, especially with the hope of getting Hollywood Brown back in the mix. If Hopkins can play a pivotal role in helping secure a three-peat for Kansas City, they might just start carving his Hall of Fame. Talk about motivation!
So, buckle up, Chiefs Kingdom! With D-Hop in the fold, the road to another Lombardi Trophy just got a whole lot more exciting.
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