Chiefs ready for WR overhaul, other key lessons learned from DeAndre Hopkins trade

Every move in the NFL tells a story. Every acquisition says something about the vision of the front office and the plan of the coaching staff. How does a franchise want to invest? Which areas are most important? Where does a team feel comfortable and what internal concerns are evident?

This applies to every step in every organization, and the larger the business, the more there is to learn from it. This makes the Kansas City Chiefs’ move to DeAndre Hopkins on Wednesday all the more interesting. Not only is it a new player in a position of need, but it also says a lot about the team, the market and the player.

If you’re a fan of “don’t read too much into it,” then this isn’t the column for you. We’re here to read between the lines and see what Brett Veach’s decision to trade to Hopkins says about the Chiefs at this stage of the season — or at least how we would interpret things.

For teams in need of a wide receiver, this was a buyer’s market.

It’s an odd thing to say given the remarkable number of teams in need of wide receivers – even the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers have yet to make their moves – but the Chiefs had plenty of solid veteran options before the NFL traded them add deadline. Their choice of DeAndre Hopkins speaks volumes.

The Chiefs had plenty of other options at different prices. In Cooper Kupp there was a higher ceiling. They had younger options including Diontae Johnson. They had cheaper veterans like Adam Thielen and players with more safety in Amari Cooper. They had faster players like Darius Slayton and slot options like Christian Kirk. They even had a familiar face at their disposal in Demarcus Robinson.

After sorting through their options, DeAndre Hopkins was their final choice, and while price played a role here, it’s worth noting that the Chiefs have also been interested in Hopkins in recent years. This means shopping at Hopkins isn’t just an emergency purchase at the supermarket on the way home.

Instead, trading Hopkins shows a very clear vision for the future on how to best utilize Hopkins alongside the talent already present in Andy Reid’s offense. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if Hopkins immediately puts up numbers upon arriving in Kansas City. The Chiefs know exactly how they want to take advantage of having a big, physical receiver alongside players like Travis Kelce, Xavier Worthy and Co.

After six games, the Chiefs are currently 6-0 and are the only undefeated team in the NFL. They have a comfortable lead in the division and every reason to believe they will easily clinch a ninth straight title.

Led by a stifling defense that takes some of the pressure off the offense, the Chiefs could have glided forward for a while without giving up draft capital. They could have relied on a free agent like Hunter Renfrow. They could have asked more from the practice squad like Nikko Remigio or Justyn Ross. They could have waited for some injured players like Isiah Pacheco and JuJu Smith-Schuster to return. Then there are the veteran waivers that have provided players like Terrell Suggs to Kansas City in recent years.

But that’s not the case here with Brett Veach at all. The Titans got a decent return for an aging asset and no leverage. That means Veach was willing to pay for a few things here. We’ve already talked about his love for Hopkins, but it’s also true that this is a potentially historic season and that it’s not lost on Veach at this point.

The Chiefs are looking for a third title. The injuries are piling up. While it’s possible that Smith-Schuster will miss just one game because of the hamstring injury, the truth is that no one knows. Asking Nikko Remigio to be a regular-season hero given the loss of players like Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown is a fool’s errand. The Chiefs are betting on a veteran because the need is urgent and the time is now.

I’ll come back briefly to the training group here.

Picture this: The Chiefs have been hit by a WR injury at three different points early in 2024 and have never invited their preseason players to join them during the regular season. Justin Ross? No. Cornell Powell? Nada. Nikko Remigio? Keep your place.

In addition, the Chiefs no longer lean on their wideout colleagues on the active roster. It’s not like Skyy Moore is getting a lot more chances or Justin Watson is becoming a volume target. Instead, the Chiefs are bringing in tight ends and running backs while changing their offensive philosophy to include more personnel. Instead, the Noah Grays are rewarded here.

Going forward, it makes sense that this is the last year that many of these names around Arrowhead will be taken seriously. Xavier Worthy is in place and Rashee Rice will return. Maybe Hollywood Brown will decide to try another one-season trial contract. But the familiar cast of dull characters that reside on the depth chart and on the practice squad will likely say goodbye.

Just like Veach has worked at other positions like offensive line in 2022, I expect the Chiefs to completely revamp the wide receiving corps going forward.