DeAndre Hopkins traded to Kansas City Chiefs in latest wide receiver move

Patrick Mahomes is getting some help for the Kansas City Chiefs passing game.

In the latest NFL trade involving a wide receiver, the Chiefs are finalizing a deal to acquire veteran DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans. The move comes almost two weeks ahead of the NFL trade deadline and is the third wide receiver move made this season, after Davante Adams was traded to the New York Jets, and Amari Cooper went to the Buffalo Bills.

According to multiple reports, the Chiefs will send a conditional fifth-round selection to the Titans for Hopkins. That pick can become a fourth-round selection, depending on how Hopkins fares in Kansas City.

The Chiefs’ wide receiver situation was becoming a critical issue for their offense. The team already lost Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice to injured reserve, and head coach Andy Reid announced earlier this week that JuJu Smith-Schuster would miss at least this weekend’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders with a hamstring injury.

That leaves rookie Xavier Worthy as the top option in the wide receiver room. As a result, the Chiefs have been relying on Travis Kelce and the tight ends — sometimes fielding three at the same time — in order to manufacture a passing attack. In addition to Worthy, the Chiefs have Justin Watson, Skyy Moore, and Mecole Hardman on the roster at wide receiver.

This year for the Titans, Hopkins has caught 15 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown over six games, in a Tennessee offense that has sometimes struggled to put points on the board. Even with subpar quarterback play a year ago, he put up 1057 yards and 7 touchdowns, playing a full season for the first time since his last Pro Bowl year in 2020. That year,

Now he is on the verge of playing with Mahomes, and for Reid.

The Chiefs inherit roughly $5 million in salary on the final year of Hopkins’ deal. If Hopkins reaches certain reception, yards, and touchdown incentives, he will receive more money according to Spotrac.

The Chiefs have a history of in-season wide receiver trades in each of the past three seasons. In 2024, it’s DeAndre Hopkins. In 2023, it was Mecole Hardman. In 2022, it was Kadarius Toney.

With three trades already, the wide receiver market is the hottest at the NFL trade deadline with Cooper Kupp being actively shopped by the Los Angeles Rams.