WATCH: DeAndre Hopkins trolls Titans after scoring first TD with Chiefs
DeAndre Hopkins is living his best life with the Kansas City Chiefs. The star wide receiver, for the first time in his decade-long career, is playing on a contending team. Hopkins joined the Chiefs in a midseason trade after starting the season with the Tennessee Titans.
Remember the Titans? They're sitting with a 2-6 record after netting their second win of the season in Week 9. But the famous football movie named "Remember the Titans" was referenced by Hopkins after he scored a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He used the opportunity to celebrate by trolling his old team.
The start of the season was not positive for the veteran receiver. He joined Tennessee in 2023 and had a good year, surpassing the 1,000-yard mark. However, his production dipped and he scored just one touchdown in six games before getting traded.
Why DeAndre Hopkins' addition to the Chiefs could help the offense
Until 2022, the Chiefs led the league in explosive passing plays; they have since fallen to the middle of the pack. This difference is due to Travis Kelce's drop in production and the lack of depth in the wide receiver group after Tyreek Hill left the franchise. But Hopkins surpassed the 1,000-yard mark last season.
This is a team that lost Hollywood Brown for the entirety of the regular season, Rashee Rice for the entire season, and WR2 Xavier Worthy entered Week 9 with just 235 receiving yards. Although Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes are still winning games, improvements don't hurt.
The veteran has had seven seasons with 1,000 yards: five with the Houston Texans, one with the Arizona Cardinals and the aforementioned 2023 campaign with the Titans. He also has five All-Pro nominations and has been voted to the Pro Bowl five times as well.
At this point, his vertical threat is no longer there, but he does a great job of finding spaces in underneath zones and making contested catches. This is something that no other Chiefs wide receiver can do consistently, except for Rice, who's injured. A veteran presence in the locker room is always welcome, and teaming him up with Mahomes could give him a ring to cap off a meritorious career.