NFL News: DeAndre Hopkins sends clear message to Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes after leaving Chiefs for Lamar Jackson’s Ravens

DeAndre Hopkins‘ stint with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes didn’t last long. Only a few months after joining the Kansas City Chiefs via trade, the star wide receiver packed his bags to team up with Lamar Jackson on the Baltimore Ravens ahead of the 2025 NFL season.

The 32-year-old hit free agency after spending the final year of his contract with the Chiefs, who got him from the Tennessee Titans in October. The expectations were sky-high by then, but things didn’t go exactly to plan.

Hopkins didn’t find the chemistry everyone expected to see between him and Mahomes, who couldn’t make D-Hop his No. 1 WR. The wideout, however, made it clear that he has no hard feelings against the quarterback or Reid for not getting that many opportunities to make plays.

“I have definitely been in situations the past couple of years where I have only gotten a couple of targets, so for me, it has never really bothered me. I embrace it. You got to realize and understand this is a business and that is how it goes,” Hopkins said last week after joining the Ravens, via Sports Illustrated.

DeAndre Hopkins #8 of the Kansas City Chiefs reacts before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on November 04, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Hopkins’ brief stint with Mahomes, Reid’s Chiefs

Both the Chiefs and Hopkins knew that their partnership could be short-lived though, with the wideout playing on an expiring contract last year. Reid and the front office, however, felt that providing Mahomes a weapon of that caliber was worth the trade.

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Kansas City committed to giving the Tennessee Titans a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft that would’ve become a fourth-rounder if the Chiefs reached Super Bowl LIX with D-Hop playing 60% of the snaps. The team did make it to New Orleans, but it turned out that Hopkins was used in less than 50% of the offensive reps.

With five starts in 10 regular season appearances, Hopkins caught 41 passes from Mahomes on 59 targets, recording 437 receiving yards and four touchdowns. His production in the 2025 NFL playoffs didn’t see a significant change, with the wideout being targeted just eight times for three receptions with 29 yards and one touchdown.

Hopkins thrilled about playing with Jackson

Hopkins isn’t holding any grudges with Mahomes or Reid for that, but he’s ready to move on. Now, he’ll chase a coveted first Super Bowl ring in Baltimore with Jackson, another star who’s also been craving for a championship.

“I think Lamar being the leader of this team is part of the reason that I came here,” Hopkins admitted. “What he stands for and how he led this team and this organization to the playoffs in multiple years and since he has been here just how he has led any receiver group he has had. I think that played a big part in me coming here for sure. Lamar being the quarterback.”