Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis will not suit up in Week 7, and his injury could inadvertently lead to a DeAndre Hopkins trade. A first-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Clemson product spent the 2010s establishing himself as one of the game’s premier threats at the wide receiver position. While he has slowed down in recent years, the 32-year-old weapon is still the most consistent set of hands on the Titans offense. Appearing in five games, Hopkins has recorded a team-high 14 receptions for 175 yards and one touchdown on 20 targets.
At 1-4, Tennessee’s season is effectively over and they could look to trade DeAndre Hopkins as they embrace a rebuild. The only real argument for retaining the impending free agent involved giving Will Levis the best chance to succeed. However, with Levis sidelined and Mason Rudolph under center, why shouldn’t the team trade their most valuable asset to a contender hoping to win it all? Hopkins won’t fetch a Davante Adams or Amari Cooper type of return, but the three-time All-Pro would be a massive upgrade for teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers.
Chiefs, Chargers Could Trade For DeAndre Hopkins After Will Levis Injury
Despite winning the Super Bowl last year, the Kansas City Chiefs knew they had to improve their wide receiver room. Replacing Marquez Valdes-Scantling with free agent Marquise Brown and trading up for Xavier Worthy, the Chiefs believed these two paired with Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice could give Patrick Mahomes his deepest group of weapons to date. Unfortunately, injuries had other ideas, as Brown and Rice are done for the season. After missing out on an Amari Cooper trade, DeAndre Hopkins could be a fine consolation prize for the 5-0 Chiefs.
Hopkins is a good player who perfectly fits this offense. As currently constructed, Kelce can do damage over the middle of the field, Worthy’s speed forces teams to respect the deep ball, and Juju Smith-Schuster can be a somewhat effective possession receiver. What they lack is a player who can win in contested situations out wide. DeAndre Hopkins remains one of the league’s better contested receivers and should quickly emerge as one of Mahomes’ favorite targets if the team executes the trade.
Help For Justin Herbert
Head coach Jim Harbaugh wants to win football games the old-fashioned way, but he cannot completely ignore the existence of the forward pass. With Quentin Johnston and second-round pick Ladd McConkey battling injuries, the Chargers already-weak wide receiver depth chart is perilously thin. Herbert is a great talent, but nobody can win games without NFL-caliber weapons, and he doesn’t have any at the moment. DeAndre Hopkins might not have another All-Pro season in his tank, but the trade target would easily be the best healthy receiver on this team.
Hopkins would be a great short-term fix for the Chargers injured depth chart, but he’d also complement the room when everyone is healthy. Ladd McConkey is a shifty slot receiver and Quentin Johnston isn’t the best in contested situations. This team needs someone who can win with size and strength, and DeAndre Hopkins can bring that in a trade. With the Will Levis injury expected to be a multi-week ordeal, don’t be surprised if Hopkins finds a new home in the coming days.
Main Photo: Andrew Nelles – USA Today Sports
