The dreams of Chiefs Kingdom were finally made a reality for Kansas City fans who have long-wanted the team to get some help at wide receiver.
The Chiefs went out and traded for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, sending a fifth-round pick to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for the former All Pro. That pick could turn into a fourth-round selection based on playing time and a Super Bowl appearance.
Seeing players like Rashee Rice and Hollywood Brown go down with major injuries had left this offense searching for answers, and somehow, Patrick Mahomes and company have continued to win games. The addition of Hopkins is one fans are hoping will make a big difference.
At age 32, Hopkins isn't what he once was, but the change of scenery is likely to rejuvenate him a bit. Speaking of his age, as he's gotten older, Hopkins has dealt with some notable injuries. Currently, he is healthy enough to pass a physical if he's getting traded.
But, based on recent history, there might be a little reason for pause.
DeAndre Hopkins has a lengthy injury history which may worry Chiefs fans
This may sound a bit frightening, but it would take quite some time to go through Hopkins' complete injury history dating back to his first documented NFL injury in 2013. But, we'll try and cover the majority of them, starting with the most recent.
Knee MCL Tear Grade 3 (July 31, 2024): Hopkins suffered this injury in training camp and it is what caused him to start the season in such a slow manner. His involvement in the Titans' offense slowly ramped up over the first few games of the year because of it.
Knee MCL Strain Grade 1 (Dec. 29, 2022): This was the season following Hopkins' MCL tear which we'll get to next. The knee flared up causing him to miss Weeks 17 and 18.
Knee MCL Tear Grade 3 (Dec. 13, 2021): Hopkins would miss the rest of the regular season and the first six games of the 2022 season.
Hamstring Strain Grades 1 & 2 (Oct. 2021): This issue was elevated from a Grade 1 to Grade 2 over the course of a week and caused Hopkins to miss three games.
Other than those recent and notable injuries, Hopkins had remained relatively healthy throughout his career, missing a total of just two games from 2013 to 2020. However, as he's gotten a bit older, it's seemed that his body has become far more injury-prone, which happens to most aging athletes.
Hopefully, Hopkins' knee is fully healthy now and, going forward, the Chiefs medical staff are able to help him manage any minor bumps and bruises so that he can be as effective as possible on game days.
If he stays healthy, Hopkins is going to be a real difference-maker for this Chiefs offense.