The Kansas City Chiefs suffered a major blow when DeAndre Hopkins signed with the Tennessee Titans. Hopkins is one of the best wide receivers in the league, and his loss will be felt by the Chiefs. However, there are moves that the Chiefs can make to mitigate the impact of Hopkins' departure.

Sign another Free Agent WR

The Chiefs could also look to sign a free-agent wide receiver to add to their receiver corps. While there are no wide receivers on the market who are as talented as Hopkins, there are still some quality players available. These include Kenny Golladay, Julio Jones, and Jarvis Landry. They are all talented wide receivers who are still available in free agency.

Kenny Golladay

Kenny Golladay is a big-bodied wide receiver who has had success in the NFL. He has played for the Lions and Giants and has caught 226 passes for 3,670 yards and 22 touchdowns in his career. Golladay could provide the Chiefs with a reliable target in the red zone and could help make their receiver corps even deeper. However, Golladay has struggled with injuries in recent years, which could be a concern for the Chiefs. He played just 11 games in 2022.

Julio Jones

Julio Jones is a future Hall of Fame wide receiver who has played for the Buccaneers, Falcons, and Titans. He has caught more than 900 passes for 13,600+ yards and 63 touchdowns in his career. Jones is still a talented player, but he is getting up there in age and has also struggled with injuries in recent years. The Chiefs would do pretty well to acquire Jones and have him among their primary backup receivers. He would surely be worth the investment if he can stay healthy.

Jarvis Landry

Jarvis Landry is a reliable wide receiver who has played for the Dolphins, Saints, and Browns. He has caught more than 700 passes for 7,870 yards and close to 40 touchdowns in his career. Landry is a possession receiver who could provide the Chiefs with a reliable target on third downs. However, he is not as explosive as some of the other options on this list and may not be the best fit for the Chiefs' offense.

Overall, Golladay would be the best fit for the Kansas City Chiefs out of these three options. While he has struggled with injuries in recent years, he is still a talented player who could help replace some of the production they could have had with Hopkins. Golladay's size and ability to make contested catches would make him a valuable addition to the Chiefs' offense.

Promote from Within

The Chiefs have several talented wide receivers on their roster who could step up without Hopkins in the fold. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, and Kadarius Toney are currently locked into the Chiefs' Week 1 roster. It's worth noting that the Chiefs have lost Juju Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman in free agency. Guys like Rashee Rice, Richie James, and Justin Watson certainly have to step up. And then there's also Travis Kelce, who should still be pretty awesome.

Instead of looking elsewhere, perhaps head coach Andy Reid can give more opportunities to the aforementioned Rice, James, and Watson. Watson, in particular, has a ton of potential. He had 315 receiving yards last season on just 15 receptions.

Focus on Defense

While missing out on Hopkins is a major blow to the Chiefs' offense, the team could instead look to focus on improving their defense. The Chiefs' defense struggled at times last season, and the team could look to add some talent on that side of the ball. By improving their defense, the Chiefs could make up for not having Hopkins by winning games with a strong defense. Some defensive standouts still available in free agency are Marcus Peters, Yannick Ngakoue, and Akiem Hicks.

Looking Ahead

In all, losing out on the DeAndre Hopkins sweepstakes is a major blow to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, there are moves that the team can make to mitigate the impact of this outcome. The Chiefs could sign another wide receiver, promote from within, or focus on improving their defense. It's important to mention that the Chiefs could still make moves in free agency or the trade market to further bolster their wide receiver group. While none of these moves will completely replace Hopkins, they could help the Chiefs remain competitive in the AFC.

The Chiefs will have to adjust their game plan for the 2023 NFL season now that they will not have DeAndre Hopkins. While the Chiefs have a talented group of wide receivers, Hopkins would have been an amazing No. 1 target. The addition of second-round receiver Rashee Rice in the 2023 NFL Draft is notable, but he is not yet proven at the NFL level. The Chiefs could look to sign a free agent or trade for a wide receiver, but they will need to free up cap space to do so. The Chiefs could also focus on improving their defense, which struggled at times last season. While missing out on Hopkins is a major blow to the Chiefs' offense, they still have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Patrick Mahomes, and a talented roster that could make a deep playoff run in 2023.