The Kansas City Chiefs became the latest AFC contender to strike a deal for a big-name wide receiver on Wednesday, agreeing to acquire five-time Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans. The move comes a week after the New York Jets landed Davante Adams and the Buffalo Bills added Amari Cooper, reshaping the supporting casts of two Super Bowl hopefuls.
Which side got the better of the latest swap, which sends Hopkins to Kansas City? Here's our take:
The trade
- Chiefs get: WR DeAndre Hopkins
- Titans get: Conditional 2025 fifth-round draft pick
The grades
Chiefs: B+
Hopkins shouldn't be viewed as the savior of a badly bruised wide receiver group, because he also isn't at full speed, playing through a partially torn MCL at 32. The Chiefs aren't really paying him to be that, though, considering the compensation, and they don't really need him to be, either. "Nuk" is a proven route-runner with good hands, which should free up speedier counterparts like Xavier Worthy to focus more on downfield shots. And even if he can't withstand a monster workload down the stretch, Kansas City should be able to mix and match his skills as a secondary outlet. You could do a lot worse for a half-season rental.
Titans: C+
The Titans weren't going to be winning games of significance with an aging Hopkins on an expiring contract. That much seems pretty clear. So it makes sense they'd offload the wideout for a chance at draft capital, especially with plenty of money already tied up in fellow pass catcher Calvin Ridley. It's hard to call this a slam-dunk victory for them, however, because they're set to eat money to facilitate the deal, and have essentially waved the white flag on the effort to give quarterback Will Levis a meaningful chance at growth in 2024. Levis is hurt right now, but when he returns, arguably his most reliable weapon will be gone.
