Chiefs rumors: 3 moves that will help replace Mecole Hardman, JuJu Smith-Schuster

DeAndre Hopkins trade would take financial gymnastics for the Chiefs

For a while, it seemed like the DeAndre Hopkins trade would be costly as reports indicated that the Arizona Cardinals were looking for something in the first-or-second-round pick area in any deal for the wide receiver trade. But in the wake of Brandin Cooks going to Dallas for only a fifth-rounder and future sixth-rounder, that cost has likely come down, especially with the money that Hopkins is still owed.

That money is the biggest hurdle for the Chiefs to get over if they are interested in Hopkins, though, which they very much should be.

In terms of the player, the core of the current wide receiver room in KC with Toney, Moore and Valdes-Scantling is largely based on quickness and speed. Hopkins, meanwhile, is a tough, size-based ball-winner that can win even when covered and make plays. That’s something that, outside of Kelce, the offense doesn’t necessarily have.

When asked about Hopkins to the Chiefs in a mailbag for MMQB, NFL insider Albert Breer noted that there had been interest but that the cost could be a hang-up depending on how much money Arizona was willing to eat based on what they were getting in return.

That would, in theory, make a Hopkins trade more costly for Kansas City than it could be for other NFL teams. At the same time, though, if the Chiefs are interested in getting a proven WR1 that complements the weapons they already have, it might be worth it to figure out how to make the money work, even at an increased draft capital cost.