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The Kansas City Chiefs made a major addition on offense, landing wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in a trade with the Tennessee Titans. But before that trade came to fruition, Hopkins wasn't the only receiver the Chiefs had their eyes on.
Kansas City contacted the Los Angeles Rams about a potential Cooper Kupp trade. However, the Rams were unwilling to take on a large chunk of Hopkins' salary. Furthermore, their draft capital request was a bit high for Kansas City. Between the contract and the return, the Chiefs decided to move on from their Kupp pursuit and set all their focus on Hopkins, via Dianna Russini of The Athletic.
The Chiefs acquired Hopkins for a conditional fourth-round pick. He has $8 million left on his salary and the Titans are expected to pick some of it up. Tennessee's contractual willingness, alongside their openness to accepting a conditional fourth-rounder is what helped the deal get across the finish line.
It's no secret that Kansas City is in need of receiving help. Both Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown are out for the season. JuJu Smith-Schuster just picked up a concerning shoulder injury. In terms of their healthy wide receivers, rookie Xavier Worthy now leads the pack with 15 receptions for 198 yards ad two touchdowns.
While they have tight end Travis Kelce, the Chiefs knew they needed some extra firepower. DeAndre Hopkins hasn't had much of it with the Titans this season, catching 15 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown. However, much of the issue has come from Tennessee's quarterback options. Hopkins is still a five-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro and one of the most respected receivers in the league.
Cooper Kupp would've came to Kansas City with plenty of accolades too, including a Super Bowl ring. However, the Chiefs and Rams just didn't see eye-to-eye on a deal. Los Angeles will now scour the trade market again to see if they can find a Kupp suitor.
The Chiefs are more than content with how the proceedings worked out. Kansas City is still a perfect 6-0 despite dealing with all their receiving injuries. Adding Hopkins to the mix will only make the Chiefs scarier on offense and further legitimize their three-peat goal.
