Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins Nearly Landed With Chiefs

Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins nearly joined the Kansas City Chiefs before landing in Tennessee.

Dec 31, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) before the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been the subject of rampant trade speculation of late, and one potential destination people keep mentioning is the Kansas City Chiefs.

Well, it turns out that Hopkins almost landed with the Chiefs last year.

During an appearance on ESPN's SportsCenter, NFL insider Jeremy Fowler revealed that Kansas City "badly" wanted to sign Hopkins after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals in May 2023 (h/t Mike Chiari of Bleacher Report). However, the Chiefs were unable to close the deal with the star pass-catcher, and he went on to ink a two-year, $26 million contract with the Titans.

Fowler added that Kansas City will "maybe at least make the call" on Hopkins between now and the Nov. 5 trade deadline, although he did not say for sure that the Chiefs were interested.

Based on the fact that Kansas City's top two receivers—Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown—are on injured reserve, you have to figure that the Chiefs will at least kick the tires on Hopkins.

Hopkins enjoyed a nice bounceback campaign in his first season with Tennessee, hauling in 75 receptions for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns after playing in a grand total of 19 games with the Cardinals in 2021 and 2022.

However, through the first four games of 2024, Hopkins has been quiet, logging just 10 catches for 121 yards and a score.

Much of that has been due to poor quarterback play and a horrific offensive line that has resulted in the Titans having the 28th-ranked offense in football heading into their Week 5 bye.

That being said, Hopkins is also 32 years old, and it seems pretty clear he has lost a step.

Hopkins is a five-time Pro Bowler, with four of those appearances coming during his time with the Houston Texans between 2013 and 2019.

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