The Tennessee Titans are less than one week away from kicking off their 2024 season against the Chicago Bears.
Looking at the moves the Titans made this offseason, it’s easy to see that contending is the goal. Bringing in veterans like Calvin Ridley, L’Jarius Sneed, and Quandre Diggs, just to name a few, are not moves that “rebuilding” teams would make.
However, at least one national NFL writer still thinks the Titans are “in the middle of a rebuild” and may sell off parts at the trade deadline.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report proposed five trades before the 2024 season kicks off, and one of those trades is DeAndre Hopkins to the Cleveland Browns.
Regarding that hypothetical trade, Ballentine said the following:
Some of the Browns newly found financial freedom could be used to make one last major addition to the roster during the season.
DeAndre Hopkins is a logical hypothetical target. The 32-year-old showed he’s still got it with a 1,000-yard season in 2023, but the Titans are in the middle of a rebuild and the veteran is on the final year of his contract.
That’s not to mention the chemistry that Hopkins already has with Watson from their days together in Houston.
A receiving trio of Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy and DeAndre Hopkins would leave Watson with no excuses not to return to Pro Bowl form.
Never mind that Hopkins has repeatedly reiterated his love for the city of Nashville, but why would the Titans trade away a veteran leader in a make-or-break year for their young QB?
Additionally, Ballentine didn’t even propose what the Titans would get in return.
Even if the Titans disappoint this season, it’s hard to imagine Hopkins getting shipped out mid-season. It’s much more likely the team signs Hopkins to a short-term extension than ship him out to an AFC rival during the season.