The Kansas City Chiefs may lose one of their key weapons from 2024 to a bitter AFC West rival. Despite their efforts to improve their receiving corps last year, including signing Marquise Brown, adding JuJu Smith-Schuster, and trading for DeAndre Hopkins, the results were underwhelming.
Brown’s season was derailed by a shoulder injury, Smith-Schuster had only 18 catches, and Hopkins, despite decent regular-season numbers (41 catches, 437 yards, and 4 touchdowns in 10 games), was largely ineffective in the playoffs, catching just three passes on eight targets.
Now, as the 32-year-old Hopkins approaches free agency, ESPN’s Aaron Schatz suggests he may leave Kansas City for the Los Angeles Chargers. While Hopkins isn’t expected to return to his prime form, Schatz believes he could serve as a valuable mentor and starter for the Chargers’ offense.
The Chiefs might not be greatly impacted by his departure, as Hopkins is no longer a top-tier receiver. Over the past four seasons, he’s only had one 1,000-yard season, and his 2023 performance (1,057 yards) came with a career-low 10.9 yards per catch.
The Chargers are in desperate need of weapons to support Justin Herbert, but if Hopkins becomes their main option, Kansas City likely wouldn’t lose much sleep over it. However, there is still a chance the Chiefs could try to re-sign Hopkins, depending on their moves in free agency or through trades. With limited salary cap space, re-signing Hopkins on a cheap, one-year deal is a possibility, but they may be forced to keep him if they can’t land a more dynamic playmaker. The Chiefs’ financial constraints could make it challenging to secure a better option, leaving them with little choice but to retain Hopkins—though their AFC West rivals may offer him a better deal.
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