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Why the Titans traded DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs explained

The Tennessee Titans are replacing veteran outside hitter DeAndre Hopkins after just a season and a half with the team.

Tennessee is reportedly sending the 32-year-old receiver to the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the NFL trade deadline. The Chiefs will send the Titans a fifth-round pick that has the potential to become a fourth-rounder if Hopkins meets certain benchmarks.

Hopkins originally signed a two-year, $26 million contract with the Titans as a free agent in 2023. He had 75 catches for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns in his first year at Tennessee, but saw his numbers decline in 2024 (15). catches, 173 yards, one touchdown in six games).

Now Hopkins gets a chance to work with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs as the Titans become the latest NFL team to receive draft capital for a big-name receiver. The Las Vegas Raiders sent Davante Adams to the New York Jets before Week 7, just hours before the Cleveland Browns traded receiver Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills.

Here's what you should know about the Titans' decision to trade Hopkins and what it means for the future of their franchise.

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Why did the Titans trade DeAndre Hopkins?

A few factors likely played a role in the Titans' decision to trade Hopkins. First of all, the Titans are not a contender for 2024. They have a 1-5 record in six games to start the season, so it seems like trading Hopkins – whose contract is expiring – for an asset that will accelerate the team's rebuild can seem like a smart move.

Hopkins' expiring contract also plays a big role in the trade. The odds of him re-signing with the Titans aren't great, as he experienced a decline in production in his first season with head coach Brian Callahan. The 32-year-old is on pace for just 42 catches and 490 yards, both career lows, as well as three touchdowns in a 17-game season.

If that performance had continued, Hopkins might have been looking for a change of scenery in the 2025 offseason. Heading into his age-33 season, Hopkins likely wants to be a contender for his first Super Bowl ring.

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The Titans will also save some money by offloading Hopkins. According to Spotrac.com, they would have owed him about $8 million for the remainder of the 2024 NFL season. They could still use up some of their salary to facilitate a deal with the Chiefs, but either way, Tennessee won't be paying Hopkins the full amount of what he's owed. And the dead cap hits associated with him ($10.25 million in 2024 and $5.89 million in 2025) certainly aren't staggering.

The Titans also had an ideal trade partner in the Chiefs. Kansas City desperately needed wide receiver help after losing No. 1 pick Rashee Rice in Week 4 to a torn ACL and No. 2 receiver Hollywood Brown to a preseason sternoclavicular injury.

However, according to MMQB's Albert Breer, the Chiefs also had a goal of not giving up a top-100 draft pick when trying to acquire receiver support. That made Hopkins one of the Chiefs' top prospects and allowed the Titans to get a fair price while turning an expiring contract into a future asset.

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Without Hopkins, it won't hurt Tennessee too much at receiver either. The Titans signed Calvin Ridley to a high-dollar contract in the 2024 offseason and also have veteran Tyler Boyd on the roster. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who has proven to be an effective NFL role player, will likely move into the lineup to replace Hopkins in three-receiver sets.

That gives the team plenty of opportunities to evaluate whether Will Levis can be their long-term starting quarterback, which was one of Tennessee's main goals heading into the 2024 season.

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