DeAndre Hopkins has been outstanding for the Tennessee Titans since they signed him last summer. A go-to playmaker for sophomore quarterback Will Levis, Hopkins' advancing age hasn't necessarily slowed down his production. With the trade deadline approaching, and Hopkins in the midst of a contract year, it makes sense that other teams might call the 1-3 Titans to see what the asking price is.
Last year, there were rumors of teams sniffing around Hopkins to see if the Titans might be willing to move on from him at the trade deadline. The Titans opted to keep him because he and Levis had such strong chemistry down the stretch. Since then, Hopkins' name has been routinely floated in rumors when any big-market team needs a wide receiver.
For a while it felt like pure speculation, but something happened this week that makes it seem like a trade might actually happen this year.
On Tuesday, Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams asked to be traded, so reporters and insiders started making calls to see which teams might be interested in the receiver.
Then on Monday morning, at least two different sources brought up Hopkins unprompted. ESPN's Dan Graziano brought up Hopkins' name unpromoted while talking about fits for Adams. Graziano mentioned Hopkins as a potential fit with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"I would expect the Steelers to be in on Davante Adams, along with DeAndre Hopkins if he becomes available, and I do wonder about Christian Kirk in Jacksonville."
Later, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com wrote an entire article dedicated to making the case that a trade for Hopkins might be just as good as a trade for Adams for the Browns.
"But what about Hopkins, who has excellent chemistry with Watson from their three years together in Houston? Hopkins is rumored to be on the block with the Titans at 1-3 and not viewed as a contender."
The NFL trade deadline is five weeks away. Are the Titans in a hurry to move on from Hopkins?
The Titans are committed to finding out about Levis' future prospects this season. Surely he has a better chance of developing into a franchise QB with a weapon like Hopkins at his disposal. Levis looks much more comfortable throwing intermediate passes to Hopkins than anyone else.
The Titans' willingness to trade Hopkins may depend on their form throughout October. If the team is still intent on learning all it can about Levis, then retaining Hopkins could make sense. On the other hand, he's an aging asset on an expiring contract for a team that requires as much draft capital as possible as they continue rebuilding their roster.
Keep an eye on which team wins the Adams sweepstakes. Those who fail in their quest to acquire Adams could turn their attention to Hopkins. The Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets all have a wide receiver need and extra top-100 picks they could entice the Titans with.