Kansas City Chiefs (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 4 road win over the Los Angeles Chargers came at a massive price, with star wide receiver Rashee Rice likely to miss the remainder of the season.
Rashee Rice suffered a knee injury in the first quarter of the Chiefs’ game at SoFi Stadium after Patrick Mahomes threw an interception. Mahomes accidentally hit Rice in the knee on the play while trying to make a tackle.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, there was concern that Rice suffered an ACL tear, which would end his season. The team is also without Marquise Brown, who’s expected to miss the entire regular season recovering from a shoulder injury.
With Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown out, it’s imperative for the Chiefs to bolster their wide receiver depth in their quest for a three-peat. And a rival AFC team just might have the solution the defending champions need.
That would be Tennessee Titans star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who’s in the final year of his contract on a winless 0-3 team that’s nowhere close to contending. If KC wants a short-term replacement for Rice, Hopkins should be on their radar.
The rebuilding Titans made a colossal mistake by holding onto star running back Derrick Henry last year instead of trading him, only to watch the two-time rushing champion leave for nothing in free agency. They cannot afford to do the same with Hopkins.
A seven-time 1,000-yard wide receiver, Hopkins would immediately slot in as the Chiefs’ WR1 with Rashee Rice absent. At the age of 32, “Nuk” should be motivated to play for a contender at this phase of his career.
What Chiefs Should Offer Titans For DeAndre Hopkins As Rashee Rice’s Replacement
The Chiefs should offer the Titans a conditional 2025 fourth-round pick that can become a third-rounder depending on Hopkins’ production, along with a 2026 fifth-round pick. Since Hopkins is in his contract year, Tennessee can’t expect too big of a return.
This is a reasonable price for a rental that won’t be in Kansas City beyond 2024. The two mid-round picks are nice assets to help the Titans in their rebuild that should have begun a year ago.
