Patrick Mahomes speaks following DeAndre Hopkins trade

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Actualizado 24/10/2024 - 04:47 CDT

The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are acquiring three-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans, replenishing a position group that has been ravaged by injuries, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the teams have not announced the trade.

The Chiefs are sending a conditional fifth-round pick to the Titans, according to NFL Network, while Tennessee is taking on some of Hopkins' salary. That was an important point for the Chiefs, who have very little salary cap space.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid declined to acknowledge the trade before practice Wednesday, saying only that general manager Brett Veach was "dealing with all of that." When pressed about the trade, Reid said with a slight smile: "I know nothing."

The Chiefs lost wide receiver Marquise Brown, one of their top free-agent signings, to shoulder surgery prior to the start of the season. Second-year star Rashee Rice sustained a season-ending knee injury last month against the Chargers, and veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is out after hurting his hamstring in last Sunday's win over the 49ers.

The 32-year-old Hopkins only had 15 catches for 173 yards and a touchdown in his second season in Tennessee. But Hopkins is a proven star - 943 catches for 12,528 yards and 79 TDs over a career spent mostly in Arizona and Houston - and has a versatile skill set that should fit well into Reid's complex offensive system.

Hopkins is also on an expiring contract, which means the cash-strapped Chiefs will not assume any salary beyond this season. That was crucial to any trade they made given the number of pending free agents they have on the roster.

"I think the biggest thing is just getting with the coaches. The coaches do a great job of getting guys up to speed, and you've seen that already this year," quarterback Patrick Mahomes said Wednesday. "I just try to be on the same page as the guys that are in there."

This is the third straight season that the Chiefs have traded for wide receiver help. They acquired Kadarius Toney from the Giants two years ago, though he was cut before this season, and Mecole Hardman from the Jets last season.