Chiefs Make Another Midseason Wide Receiver Trade, Acquiring DeAndre Hopkins

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Chiefs have a history of pulling off successful midseason trades for wide receivers. In 2022, they traded a couple of draft picks to the New York Giants for Kadarius Toney, who made a significant impact in Super Bowl LVII by scoring a touchdown and setting up another with a long punt return against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Last season, the Chiefs acquired Mecole Hardman from the New York Jets, and he played a crucial role by catching the game-winning touchdown in overtime to secure the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVIII victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

These midseason moves have generally worked out for the Chiefs, which explains why they made another trade this season. On Wednesday, Kansas City dealt with the Tennessee Titans to acquire veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins for a conditional fourth-round pick. However, the expectations are much higher for the 32-year-old Hopkins, an established star, to have an immediate impact, unlike Toney or Hardman, who were seen as future investments.

Hopkins needs to step up and become the Chiefs’ No. 1 wide receiver, especially with injuries hitting their receiving corps. Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown, both initial candidates for the top wideout role, are sidelined. Rice is out for the season with a knee injury, while Brown, recovering from a sternoclavicular injury suffered during the preseason, might return by the playoffs.

Before acquiring Hopkins, the Chiefs’ remaining receivers included Xavier Worthy, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Justin Watson, Hardman, and Skyy Moore. None of them, at this stage, are considered No. 1 wideouts. Worthy, their 2024 first-round draft pick, is a talented rookie with high potential but is still in the early stages of his development. He has shown flashes, catching 15 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns, but isn’t ready for the top role yet.

Smith-Schuster, who rejoined the Chiefs this season, is nursing a hamstring injury and won’t play in their upcoming game against the Raiders. While he’s expected to return later in the season, he was never brought back to be the Chiefs’ primary receiver. Watson and Hardman have provided depth, while Moore has yet to make a significant impact since joining the team in 2022.

With Hopkins now in the mix, the Chiefs are banking on him to become the go-to target they need as they gear up for the playoffs.