The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will once again be contenders with how strong their roster is heading into training camp this year. However, even the best rosters could use a little bit of tweaking and the Chiefs are no different.
With training camp just around the corner, Kansas City has some uncertainties offensively. As long as quarterback Patrick Mahomes is on the field, this unit will hum like a well-oiled machine, but some changes are being made.
Eric Bieniemy is no longer the offensive coordinator, as he took the same job with the Washington Commanders. There are also some concerns about the wide receiver depth chart after JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman departed in free agency.
The Chiefs are going to be relying on an unestablished group of wide receivers behind Marquez Valdes-Scantling. They are expecting a jump from Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney and used a second-round pick on Rashee Rice in the 2023 NFL Draft.
If the opportunity presented itself to bring in an established upgrade, they would have to seriously consider it. Could DeAndre Hopkins be that upgrade? In an update provided by ESPN NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler during a recent appearance on SportsCenter, it sounds like the Chiefs are on the outside looking in but could eventually move to acquire the former All-Pro.
“Well the Chiefs have kept in contact, I’m told, with DeAndre Hopkins’ camp. They have, certainly, some interest. The problem is money. They don’t have much of it. They’re really tight on the salary cap. Now if they extend defensive tackle Chris Jones, who has a $28 million cap hit, that would free up some money where they could go after Hopkins a little more aggressively. But that deal might not happen until closer to training camp or even after. So I would consider the Chiefs on the periphery right now with the Titans and Patriots, who hosted Hopkins in for a visit a couple of weeks ago. Still firmly in the mix.” (H/T MSN)
Hopkins would be a huge upgrade for the Chiefs offense, providing Mahomes with a legitimate No. 1 receiver to pair with all-world tight end, Travis Kelce. Mahomes was one of the quarterbacks that Hopkins mentioned earlier in the offseason that he would love to team up with, but there are some hurdles to overcome.
He isn’t looking to give much of a discount on his contract and the Chiefs cannot currently get close to the money being offered him by the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots, the only two franchises to host Hopkins on a visit. Should Kansas City open up some money and get close, it would seem to be a no-brainer decision for the veteran to make.
