The Kansas City Chiefs not only let DeAndre Hopkins walk in free agency, but they let him sign with a rival, as he inked a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens. The inexpensive deal signified that the Chiefs never were really interested in bringing Hopkins back and an NFL executive didn’t seem too impressed by the Ravens bringing him in.
Mike Sando of The Athletic shared that while the exec was excited about the Ravens re-signing Ronnie Stanley, the Hopkins move didn’t mean much.
“D-Hop, that doesn’t do anything for me. He’s just a name at this point.”
NFL exec says former Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins is “just a name”
Hopkins is set to enter his age-33 season and it’ll be his 13th season in the NFL. The former first-round pick by the Houston Texans spent seven years with the team that drafted him before a shocking trade sent him to the Arizona Cardinals. Hopkins played in the desert for three years before signing with the Tennessee Titans in the 2023 offseason and then was traded to the Chiefs ahead of the deadline this past year.
While Hopkins didn’t put up game-changing numbers, he was a much-needed boost for the Chiefs’ offense. Not only did he provide Patrick Mahomes with a trustworthy target but Hopkins’ presence helped rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy blossom.
Hopkins was brought in to help the Chiefs complete the three-peat and unfortunately, that didn’t happen. It wasn’t Hopkins’ fault by any means but he wasn’t a fearsome weapon in this offense during the regular season or the playoffs and that’s why it wasn’t the least bit shocking when K.C. didn’t bring him back.
Saying Hopkins is “just a name” seems a tad disrespectful given what he’s accomplished throughout his career but he is coming off a down season for sure. Hopkins was healthy in 2024 and finished the year with 610 receiving yards and five touchdowns (437 yards and one touchdown with the Chiefs).
While Chiefs fans might not all agree with this exec’s assessment, with the Chiefs letting Hopkins leave and seeing the affordable deal he signed, perhaps the front office agrees with these remarks. We’ll have to see if letting Hopkins join the Ravens pans out or if he truly is “just a name at this point”.
