Kupp, Diontae, Garrett Wilson Top Landing Spots After DeAndre Hopkins Trade to Chiefs

The fast and furious wide receiver movement ahead of the 2024 NFL trade deadline continued Wednesday when the Tennessee Titans sent DeAndre Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Chiefs agreed to send a conditional 2025 fifth-round pick that can become a fourth-round pick to the Titans in exchange for Hopkins.

Hopkins joins Davante Adams and Amari Cooper as big-name wideouts who have been traded since last week, but he may not be the last one on the move. Rumors and speculation have linked Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams, Diontae Johnson of the Carolina Panthers and Garrett Wilson of the New York Jets to potential trades as well.

While any number of teams would benefit from those players, a few receiver-needy teams who are in the thick of playoff contention stand out as the best and likeliest landing sports should they get traded.

Here is a rundown of which teams would make the most sense for Kupp, Johnson and Wilson should they get traded before the Nov. 5 deadline.

Best Fit: Pittsburgh Steelers

Three years removed from one of the greatest single-season performances by a wide receiver in NFL history, Los Angeles Rams wideout Cooper Kupp is perhaps the top player who's still available ahead of the trade deadline.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported Tuesday that the Rams have contacted multiple teams about trading Kupp. They are reportedly asking for a second-round pick in return and are willing to retain some of his salary.

The 31-year-old Kupp has struggled mightily to stay healthy in recent seasons. He missed eight games in 2022, five games in 2023 and four games so far this season.

After exploding for 14 receptions for 110 yards and one touchdown in the 2024 season opener, Kupp suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 and has been out ever since.

However, he was estimated as a full participant in Monday's practice and is trending toward playing Thursday night against the Minnesota Vikings if he isn't traded before then.

Kupp's last fully healthy season was back in 2021, when he led the NFL with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was named Offensive Player of the Year and finished third in NFL MVP voting. He also won the Super Bowl MVP award after the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.

While injuries have prevented Kupp from ascending back to those heights, teams are well aware of what he can do when healthy, so he figures to have a fairly robust trade market.

The Pittsburgh Steelers stand out as his best landing spot. They've been interested in wide receiver trades since the offseason, according to multiple reports.

Pittsburgh reportedly had a firm trade offer in place for San Francisco 49ers Brandon Aiyuk before he signed a new deal. They reportedly checked in on Davante Adams before the Raiders shipped him to the Jets as well.

The Steelers have a quality No. 1 receiver in George Pickens, but they don't have much else at the position. Kupp would give them another quality starter, and his skill set would complement Pickens' downfield ability well.

Pittsburgh is all-in on winning now with veteran Russell Wilson at quarterback. Kupp would make the 5-2 Steelers even bigger threats to contend in the AFC.

Best Fit: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Several major receiver injuries occurred in Week 7. Two of them happened to impact the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Entering their Monday Night Football game against the Baltimore Ravens, wideout Mike Evans was nursing a hamstring injury. He then aggravated it in the second quarter and missed the rest of the game. Bucs head coach Todd Bowles told reporters this week that Evans will likely be out until after the team's Week 11 bye.

Even worse, Chris Godwin dislocated his ankle in the waning seconds of the game. He will almost certainly miss the rest of the season.

Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield has been excellent this season, but he is now left with a ragtag group of receivers led by rookie third-round pick Jalen McMillan, veteran Sterling Shepard and 2023 sixth-round pick Trey Palmer.

At 4-3, the Buccaneers are tied with the Atlanta Falcons for the NFC South lead. They can ill afford to move forward with their current wide receiver corps, which is where Johnson could come in.

The 28-year-old spent his first five NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, earning one Pro Bowl selection and recording one 1,000-yard season during that time.

He was traded to the Carolina Panthers during the offseason. While he has put up solid numbers through seven games (30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns), the 1-6 Panthers are going nowhere fast this season.

Johnson is a free agent at the end of the season, and he may not want to make a long-term commitment to a losing franchise. It thus could behoove the Panthers to get something for him at the trade deadline.

In Tampa, Johnson would be the clear WR1 until Evans returns. He would then be an ideal complement to Evans since he brings a lot of the same skills to the table as Godwin in terms of route running.

Best Fit: Los Angeles Chargers

While Kupp and Johnson seemingly have a strong chance to be dealt before the deadline, it would be a huge surprise if the New York Jets decide to move on from Garrett Wilson.

The Jets selected Wilson with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Despite poor quarterback play from primarily Zach Wilson, he topped 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons.

With future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback, Wilson is on pace for his best season yet in 2024. He has 46 catches for 460 yards and three touchdowns through seven games.

Despite strong play from Wilson and Allen Lazard, the Jets acquired Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders last week to reunite him with Rodgers, his former Green Bay Packers teammate.

Given that Adams has a sizable contract that the Jets took on in full, it led to some speculation about whether New York would be willing to part with Wilson, who is set to enter the final year of his contract next season.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that a "select group" of teams reached out to the Jets to inquire about Wilson's availability, but they were turned away.

Wilson does have to get paid eventually, but the Jets can exercise their fifth-year option for 2026, meaning they have some time to sort out their finances. However, if something changes, the Los Angeles Chargers should absolutely target Wilson.

The Chargers have a supremely talented quarterback in Justin Herbert, but he has thrown for only 1,164 yards and six touchdowns through six games this season. Part of that may be due to a conservative game plan from head coach Jim Harbaugh, but Herbert also lacks weapons in the passing game after L.A. parted with veteran receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams during the offseason.

Herbert needs a WR1 whom he can lean on for years to come. Wilson would undoubtedly fit the bill.