The Kansas City Chiefs are back in the Super Bowl for the third straight year. They have survived lots of roster turnover to maintain continued success and they could lose more key players this offseason.
The Chiefs traded for DeAndre Hopkins in the middle of the season to address their weakness at the position. With Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown injured at the time, Hopkins was much needed. However, with Brown back, Hopkins’ production has declined. When Rice is back next season, the Chiefs won’t need him.
While predicting players who are playing their final game with the Chiefs, FanSided’s Chris Schad predicted that the Chiefs would let Hopkins walk in free agency.
“The Chiefs appeared fortunate to acquire DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans but the five-time Pro Bowler didn’t have the impact that many expected,” wrote Schad. “In 10 games with the Chiefs, the 32-year-old has just 41 catches for 437 yards and four touchdowns and hasn’t cleared 40 yards since catching four passes for 90 yards in a Nov. 29 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.”
Hopkins has an outstanding resume. He is a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. He spent most of his career with poor quarterback play but continuously produced for the Houston Texans. He has just two 1,000-yard seasons since he joined the Cardinals in 2020. He has 12,965 career yards and 83 touchdowns. He had a 1,000-yard season in 2023 which perhaps convinced the Chiefs he could be a star once again with Patrick Mahomes.
In the playoffs, Hopkins has just 1 catch for 11 yards on three targets. He is not a featured player and could be gone this offseason. He will have a strong case for the Hall of Fame when he retires and perhaps winning a ring this season will strengthen that even more.
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