Social media runs wild after Titans send DeAndre Hopkins to Chiefs

The Tennessee Titans had one of the best veteran wide receivers in the league in DeAndre Hopkins wasting away on this roster, and the Kansas City Chiefs needed a veteran to help with their pursuit of a third straight Super Bowl. These two were natural trade partners, and they struck a bargain on Wednesday morning.

Hopkins, who has one catch in three of his six appearances this season after he topped 1,000 yards last campaign, was traded to the Chiefs. Hopkins will bring back a fifth-round draft choice that could turn into a fourth if certain conditions are met. It's certainly far from a haul.

Hopkins was the latest big wide receiver trade to set social media ablaze, as this comes after the Jets acquired Davante Adams and the Bills added Amari Cooper to the mix. Social media is simultaneously projecting another ring for the Chiefs and doom and gloom for Tennessee. Even Shawshank Redemption references were fair game.

Social media reacts to Titans trading DeAndre Hopkins to Chiefs

Hopkins underwent a seismic upgrade in quarterback quality, as he will go from playing with Will Levis and Mason Rudolph to the great Patrick Mahomes. Even in a limited state, Hopkins is assuredly going to see an uptick in production as a result of this move.

NFL Network's Kyle Brandt compared this move to the "now I have a machine gun" scene in Die Hard. After giving Mahomes his best wide receiver since Tyreek Hill left, Tennessee may need to reckon with the fact they handed the AFC to Kansas City.

If this wasn't already abundantly clear, the Titans are dipping further into rebuild mode. Hopkins may not be the last move, as GM Ran Carthon and head coach Brian Callahan want to start the process with as many draft picks as possible.

Some weren't all doom and gloom, as a handful of Titans fans chose to remember the good times Hopkins brought to the team in his brief tenure. His 2023 performance was exceptional, and one wonders what may have happened if he had a better quarterback than a rookie like Levis or the corpse of Ryan Tannehill.

It will be hard to replace Hopkins, as future Hall of Fame receivers don'y grow on trees. However, given the direction Tennessee wants to head in during the next few years, this move made too much sense for all of the parties involved.