DeAndre Hopkins takes jab at his former team day after being traded to Chiefs
DeAndre Hopkins has been traded to the two-time reigning Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs. His former team, the Tennessee Titans are 1-5 this season with their last Super Bowl appearance in 2000. The Chiefs, however, are undefeated at 0-6 and could become the first team in the league's history to record a three-peat.
The Titans sent Hopkins to the Chiefs in exchange for a conditional fourth-round pick.
Speaking to the media for the first time after being traded, the veteran wide receiver took a dig at his former team.
"Takes your game to a different level. Takes your focus, your drive, knowing your playing for something. I haven't played meaningful football in a couple of years."
According to DeAndre Hopkins, now that he is in the Chiefs, it has given him "something to play for," while at the Titans he had been playing meaningless football for a couple of years.
He also thanked the team for sending him to the Chiefs specifically. Hopkins said that they could've sent him to any other team, but they chose to send him to the only undefeated team in the league right now and the reigning Super Bowl Champions.
Why did DeAndre Hopkins choose #8 as his jersey?
Hopkins wore #10 with the Tennessee Titans and for his entire NFL career ever since he was drafted by the Houston Texans in 2013. But once part of the Chiefs Kingdom, he decided to change his jersey to #8.
He explained his decision to media reporters and told them it was to honor one of his favorite athletes of all time.
"One of my favorite athletes of all time, so I knew if I ever got the chance to wear No. 8, just like when I picked No. 10, [Lionel] Messi was my favorite soccer player. Underdog, felt like me at the time coming out of college, and Kobe... No. 8's a special number."
He will play his first snap as a Chief on Sunday Night Football when the team takes on divisional rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders. The last time the two had faced off was on Christmas Day of last year when the Raiders humiliated the Chiefs on national TV.
Since that loss, the Chiefs are on a 12-game winning streak. Can DeAndre Hopkins and the Chiefs extend it to 13?