The Chiefs have accomplished a commerce with the Tennessee Titans to convey extensive receiver DeAndre Hopkins to Kansas Metropolis, the staff introduced Thursday.
The Titans will obtain a 2025 fifth-round choose that turns into a fourth-rounder if the Chiefs attain the Tremendous Bowl and Hopkins performs 60% of the snaps with Kansas Metropolis, sources informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Tennessee additionally will choose up $2.5 million of Hopkins’ remaining $8 million wage this season, sources stated.
The Chiefs have had a necessity at extensive receiver since Rashee Rice suffered a proper knee damage in Week 4 that required season-ending surgical procedure. The staff misplaced Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to a shoulder damage within the preseason, and JuJu Smith-Schuster suffered a hamstring damage final week that has already dominated him out for Sunday’s sport in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Kansas Metropolis additionally positioned extensive receiver Skyy Moore on injured reserve Thursday with a core muscle damage.
Hopkins, a 12-year veteran, is within the ultimate season of a two-year deal he signed with the Titans in July 2023. He suffered a torn MCL in the course of the offseason however recovered in time for the season opener.
He has 15 receptions for 173 yards and a landing in six video games in 2024. The five-time Professional Bowler has additionally performed for the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals.
The addition provides quarterback Patrick Mahomes one other goal. Mahomes stated final week that he had “excessive confidence” within the Chiefs’ receiving corps following the trades of two marquee receivers: Davante Adams (who was dealt to the Jets) and Amari Cooper (acquired by the Payments).
However Kansas Metropolis’s prime remaining wholesome wideouts, rookie Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson, have a mixed 22 receptions by means of Week 7.
“I believe the most important factor is simply getting with the coaches. The coaches do an excellent job of getting guys in control, and you’ve got seen that already this yr,” Mahomes stated Wednesday. “I simply attempt to be on the identical web page as the fellows which might be in there.”
Buying a large receiver earlier than the commerce deadline has yielded outcomes for the Chiefs in every of the previous two seasons. They handled the New York Giants for Kadarius Toney in 2022, and Toney scored one landing and arrange one other with a 65-yard punt return within the fourth quarter of the Chiefs’ Tremendous Bowl LVII win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Chiefs traded with the New York Jets for Mecole Hardman final yr. Hardman caught the successful landing in time beyond regulation of Tremendous Bowl LVIII in opposition to the San Francisco 49ers.
For the 1-5 Titans, who additionally traded linebacker Ernest Jones IV to the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday for linebacker Jerome Baker and a fourth-round choose, the strikes characterize a change in plans, coach Brian Callahan acknowledged.
“It is the truth of the NFL enterprise, and whenever you’re in a spot that we’re in, one which we did not need to be in,” Callahan stated. “Whenever you get to those juncture factors within the season, issues like this occur. That is simply the cycle, the way it works. And we’re in a spot proper now looking for a option to dig out.”
ESPN’s Adam Teicher and Turron Davenport and The Related Press contributed to this report.