The DeAndre Hopkins trade proves that Chiefs GM Brett Veach always gets his guy, even if at first he fails
Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach always manages to get his guy. Sometimes, it just doesn't happen on that first try. Recall the 2021 NFL offseason, when the Chiefs offered WR JuJu Smith-Schuster a deal in free agency and he opted to re-sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chiefs would turn around and sign Smith-Schuster during […]
Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach always manages to get his guy. Sometimes, it just doesn't happen on that first try.
Recall the 2021 NFL offseason, when the Chiefs offered WR JuJu Smith-Schuster a deal in free agency and he opted to re-sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chiefs would turn around and sign Smith-Schuster during the 2022 NFL offseason and he'd contribute to a Super Bowl-winning team. That's just one recent example involving a receiver, but there are many instances where prior interest in a player has dictated a future union.
The Chiefs now traded to acquire DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans for the remainder of the 2024 NFL season, but they didn't land DHop when he was a free agent during the 2023 NFL offseason. They had a strong interest in adding him to the mix, but they couldn't get the deal across the finish line.
Why was that the case? Odell Beckham Jr.'s one-year $15-million-dollar deal with the Baltimore Ravens sullied the waters, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.
That brings us to the Chiefs, who I believe would've considered circling back. Teams involved felt Hopkins would consider taking less to go to KC or another top contender if the money didn't get closer to what Odell Beckham Jr. got prior to camps opening. Remember, the Chiefs worked diligently on a deal in April and had most of it worked out then (they'd talked about a deal with a $4 million base and upside to $10 million and had worked through trade terms with Arizona), only to have Beckham's deal (one year, $15 million) poison the well. – Albert Breer, SI.com
Chiefs DT Chris Jones was also a big part of the equation. Hopkins signed a two-year contract with the Titans on July 24, 2023. Jones, of course, hadn't agreed to a long-term contract extension with Kansas City yet when Hopkins signed his deal. They couldn't stay competitive in his contract demands without Jones under contract.
Well, even though they didn't get the deal done ahead of the 2023 NFL season, that laid some of the groundwork for a deal to happen now. And as it turns out, the Chiefs didn't need Hopkins in 2023. It probably would've helped in their quest for a second consecutive Super Bowl title, but they ultimately didn't need him.
There is little doubt with the WR injuries to Smith-Schuster, Rashee Rice, and Hollywood Brown, K.C. needs Hopkins now in the worst way, and they didn't sell the entire farm to get him. The cost is a fifth-round pick that could become a fourth-round pick, based on conditions agreed upon by both teams. The Titans will eat a portion of Hopkins' salary to help the Chiefs stay under the salary cap. Hopkins will have 11 games to get up to speed and learn the offense as Kansas City preps for another postseason run.
Whether it's the draft, free agency, or trade, Veach's vision for adding players to this team always seems to come to fruition, eventually. It's just a matter of staying patient and waiting for the right time to strike. This has all the feeling of being the right time, for both the Chiefs and Hopkins.
Chiefs’ trade for superstar WR could be the transformative move that defines their 2024 season
It’s finally getting done
