Did DeAndre Hopkins' Super Bowl gaffe cost him a future with the Kansas City Chiefs? | OneFootball

DeAndre Hopkins has been one of the most recognizable wide receivers in the NFL since he entered the league way back in 2013, when the Houston Texans selected him 27th overall. Since then, he's been known for many things, including his tradition of giving his mother footballs after touchdowns, but the main thing has been his reliability and secure hands.

Once the Chiefs traded for Hopkins after injuries plagued their receiving corps before Week 8, there was nothing but optimism and hope, especially considering his hands still appeared to be as sticky as Gorilla Glue. But Hopkins' Cinderella story turned into a pumpkin when the stakes were the highest they had ever been for the former Clemson Tiger—dropping the easiest target of his career in Super Bowl LIX against the Eagles.

The brutal drop came when the Chiefs were down 24-0 with just over 30 seconds to go in the first half. It came on 3rd-and-17 and could have easily led to the Chiefs being in at least field goal range, despite the pass coming perfectly from Patrick Mahomes at Kansas City's 29-yard line. Needless to say, the drop was a huge moment in an otherwise forgettable Super Bowl performance by the dynastic Chiefs team that was on the cusp of NFL history.

Even though Hopkins would eventually find his first-ever Super Bowl touchdown catch later in the game (when Philadelphia's second-string players were on the field), it was that key third-down drop that obviously left a sour taste in the mouths of every Chiefs fan. It would appear it left that same taste in the Chiefs' front office as well.

That showed when the Chiefs let Hopkins leave in free agency this offseason, allowing him to sign a one-year deal worth $6 million with one of Kansas City's biggest rivals in the AFC: the Baltimore Ravens.

Could that drop have been the big kicker for general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid? It most likely would not have severely affected the outcome of Super Bowl LIX, especially considering Steve Spagnuolo's defense was outplayed from the opening kickoff to triple zeroes. But could it have made the front office lean toward letting Hopkins out the door instead of retaining him for a full season with Mahomes?

After Mahomes and Reid praised Hopkins throughout the season as he accumulated 41 catches on 59 targets (69.4%) for 437 yards during the 10 regular-season games, it appeared that he might be a Chief for at least one more season. But after failing to break 20 yards in any of his three postseason games with Mahomes throwing to him—hauling in just three of his eight targets (37.5%)—it seemed like maybe the 32-year-old was simply not the receiver we expected to get from Tennessee at the trade deadline four months earlier.

Now we're all stuck wondering if Hopkins makes that catch in New Orleans and turns that final drive of the first half into points, is it possible that "Nuk" stays with Kansas City to try and run it back with a full year in red and yellow? If that catch is brought in and the Eagles start to feel any sort of pressure at halftime, is there a chance that the second half is not as much of a blowout and Kansas City leaves New Orleans with a little more dignity—even a comeback victory?