The Kansas City Chiefs were aggressive in addressing their wide receiver woes before the trade deadline. Xavier Worthy was a speedy rookie that hadn’t quite found his role, Hollywood Brown was dealing with a shoulder injury and Rashee Rice had just torn his ACL, ending what looked to be a breakout season before it began.
The Chiefs turned to DeAndre Hopkins in a heist of the Tennessee Titans as an emergency option and he ended up doing enough to patch the bleeding. Now he’s a pending free agent in a market with several receiver-needy teams.
Here’s who Hopkins could land with as he hopes to provide the same spark he did once upon a time in Houston.
Who should be interested in giving DeAndre Hopkins another chance?
4) Los Angeles Chargers
The LA Chargers had a passing game problem. Sure, Ladd McConkey went from being a late second round pick to the No. 1 receiver on the Chargers’ offense, but it ended there. The Chargers’ inability to get steady production from its receiver room outside of McConkey was probably one of their biggest hindrances.
With DeAndre Hopkins on the market, it could be a cheap and intriguing move for John Harbaugh and his squad as they look to improve this offense in what could be one of the toughest divisions next season.
Last year, Hopkins had 610 receiving yards in 16 games between his two teams and five receiving touchdowns. He would have been the third-leading receiver for the Chargers last year and only 102 yards shy of being the No. 2, stats-wise.
With a quarterback like Justin Herbert, Hopkins could certainly be a cornerstone in the offense. When the team parted ways with Keenan Allen, they needed a new No. 1 option. They didn’t expect McConkey to be that. But since he is, bringing in Hopkins could help diversify the offense with multiple threats.
And for what it’s worth, Quentin Johnson could easily be another solid weapon for the team as well. They could look at the draft, but that is a gamble. Signing Hopkins is less of a risk and a better return.
3) Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs feel like the obvious move here. Worthy is still trying to find his own, Rice is coming off injury and bringing back Hopkins in steal of Hollywood Brown could be both a fiscally responsible decision as well as better production wise.
Kansas City learned that receiver depth is critical because anything can happen. And if they decide to bring back Hopkins for depth purposes, it could pay off in the long run. He wasn’t necessarily a superior target, but he was reliable.
That could go a long way for a team whose offense went numb in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles. This feels like a year the Chiefs get the band back together for one final curtain call before players start retiring and age out.
Kansas City was able to use Hopkins enough to keep the offense afloat. Now that he’s familiar with the offense, he could have a bigger role, specifically in the red zone next season. It’s something for the Chiefs to consider after Patrick Mahomes had a less than exhilarating 2024 season.
2) New England Patriots
The New England Patriots need a lot of help in the receiver room. They’re so desperate to find their No. 1 receiver that they reportedly reached out to the Philadelphia Eagles to see if AJ Brown would be available.
Tee Higgins is the obvious choice to bring in but a franchise tag ripple could wreck that plan too. So what does that leave the Patriots offense with? Well they could see some value in bringing in a veteran like Hopkins.
At the end of the day, the Patriots need help in general. Hopkins might not be the No. 1 option he was during his days with the Houston Texans, but he could be a great target for Drake Maye.
Hopkins isn’t necessarily going to be the 1,000-yard receiver he once was. That said, if the Patriots sign him and maybe get a rookie in the NFL draft, it could pay off. This is all as a contingency plan for possibly missing out on Higgins.
An aging veteran is better than a chance on a rookie. The Patriots have been taking chances on rookies the last few seasons and it hasn’t worked out. Now’s their chance to make a big move, even if it’s not the first option.
1) Los Angeles Rams
Cooper Kupp is likely to be on the move before the 2025 season begins. If he is truly out then the Los Angeles Rams are going to need immediate reinforcements. That’s where Hopkins can come in.
With Matthew Stafford as his quarterback, Hopkins could revive his career for a season. Not that he needs to revive it per se, but Stafford is showing no signs of slowing down. He’s turned no-named receivers into respectable NFL receivers.
He could thrive in the Rams’ offense. It would be something for the Rams to consider, even if they do decide to bring Kupp back.