The Kansas City Chiefs have acquired DeAndre Hopkins in a blockbuster trade to bolster their injury-hit receiving options as they chase a historic third successive Super Bowl victory.
Hopkins heads to Arrowhead from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a fifth-round pick that can become a fourth-round pick, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday.
The deal arrives weeks after the Chiefs lost star receiver Rashee Rice to a season-ending knee injury, having already seen offseason acquisition Hollywood Brown ruled out for the year with a shoulder issue.
JuJu Smith-Schuster has, meanwhile, been ruled out of Sunday’s clash with the Las Vegas Raiders after suffering a hamstring injury in last weekend’s 28-18 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
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Hopkins arrives as much-needed help for a Chiefs attack that has primarily leaned on its running game and defense across its perfect 6-0 start to the season.
The 12-year veteran signed a two-year deal with the Titans in July 2023, before leading the team with 75 catches for 1,057 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 17 games. He has 15 receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown so far this season.
Hopkins is a five-time Pro Bowl selection with 943 career receptions for 12,528 yards and 79 touchdowns in 168 games across his time with the Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals and Titans.
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He has seven 1,000-yard campaigns since being drafted with the 27th overall pick out of Clemson in 2013, his career-year coming in 2018 when he made 115 catches for 1,572 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The 32-year-old becomes the latest marquee veteran receiver on the move ahead of November’s trade deadline after the New York Jets acquired Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders and the Buffalo Bills added former Cleveland Browns wideout Amari Cooper.
The Chiefs make their move!
Sky Sports NFL editor Cam Hogwood…
“The rest of the NFL had been watching and waiting to see how Brett Veach would address Kansas City’s glaring issues at receiver, and here it is.
“Hopkins hasn’t looked like the world-beater that torched defenses for fun during his time in Houston and, at times, in Arizona, but the Chiefs’ rivals will be under no illusions as to the contested catch threat, suction hands and slick route-running prowess about to be at the disposal of the best quarterback in the league – no matter what Patrick Mahomes’ stats line says this season.
“Hitting the ground running within Kansas City’s aerial offense is no seamless feat given Mahomes and his proclivity for out-of-structure chaos, but Hopkins is as qualified as any veteran in the league to tune into his quarterback’s play-extending tendencies and the importance of working beyond his primary route.
“The Chiefs knew they could not lean on a now-35-year-old Travis Kelce to take on the same kind of workload that has seen him become Mahomes’ favourite target over the years; it wouldn’t be fair, nor feasible were they serious about winning three in a row. Hopkins relaxes those concerns while crucially freeing up Andy Reid to unleash rookie Xavier Worthy downfield.
“A move for Hopkins reiterates how serious Veach and Reid are about creating history. And for football fans in general, it represents something of a dream ‘quarterback and receiver tandem you would most like to see’.”
Week Eight begins Thursday night when the Minnesota Vikings visit the Los Angeles Rams from 1.15am in the early hours of Friday, live on Sky Sports NFL; Also stream with NOW.
