The Kansas City Chiefs were doing all that they could to ensure that they became the first team in the Super Bowl era to win three straight championships. That included swinging for the fences and trading for DeAndre Hopkins, who had been playing for the Tennessee Titans at that time.
Trading for Hopkins was a necessary move for the Chiefs because they had lost Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice to injury, and Xavier Worthy hadn't turned into the beast that he would become. Hopkins gave Patrick Mahomes another weapon to throw to, and that was important if this team wanted to reach another Super Bowl. It also gave Hopkins an opportunity to ring chase for the first time in his career.
Hopkins made his Chiefs debut in the first showdown against the Las Vegas Raiders in late October and caught 2 passes for 29 yards. The next week, against the Bucs, he had 8 grabs for 86 yards and two touchdowns. That game showed that Kansas City made the right move in bringing Hopkins in.
Hopkins finished the regular season with 41 catches for 437 yards and 4 touchdowns. Even more important was that his presence clearly helped out Worthy, who turned into a machine down the stretch.
Trading for DeAndre Hopkins turned out to be a great move for Chiefs
Even with the Chiefs not winning the Super Bowl, it was nice to see Brett Veach add receiver talent and help Mahomes and the offense get better. Hopkins might not have done a ton during the playoffs but having him on the team helped open things up more for Worthy and Brown once he returned to the lineup.
As for what the future has in store for Hopkins, it'd be surprising if he was back with the Chiefs next season. He was an excellent addition to the roster—there's no debating that—but his price tag this offseason might be more than the Chiefs are willing to spend on a veteran receiver.
Considering that Kansas City has Worthy set to return for what's hopefully an exciting sophomore season and will also get Rashee Rice back as well, the expected move would be for them to maybe re-sign Hollywood Brown and then draft a receiver. If Hopkins is willing to come back on a team-friendly deal, however, the Chiefs shouldn't hesitate to re-sign him.
