DeAndre Hopkins winners and losers move to Chiefs ahead of NFL deadline | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

The biggest losers in the Hopkins trade are the teams looking to displace Kansas City as the franchise to beat in the AFC.

Despite being undefeated, the Chiefs have looked vulnerable all season. Their defense is great (fifth in points allowed), but their offense has struggled (13th in scoring). Injuries, particularly at receiver, haven't helped Kansas City's cause.

The Bills and Jets traded for receivers to chase the Chiefs in what could be a down year for them. The Pittsburgh Steelers have become a serious threat, while the Baltimore Ravens look like the best team in the conference, at least offensively.

However, Kansas City will be extremely difficult to beat in the postseason, especially if it secures the No. 1 seed in the AFC and home-field advantage.

The Chiefs didn't finish first in 2023 and were in a similar position offensively during the regular season. They won road games against the Bills and Ravens in the playoffs and still won the Lombardi Trophy because they found an offensive formula just in time for the postseason.

By acquiring Hopkins, Kansas City gives itself a chance to make a breakthrough well before the final stretch – and before its playoff rematch in Week 11 in Buffalo. If Hopkins has the desired impact on Kansas City's offense, it will become an even greater challenge for everyone else to overtake the Chiefs as the conference's top seed.

The path to Super Bowl LIX now leads through Kansas City in the AFC. The last thing other Super Bowl contenders wanted to see was the Chiefs getting even stronger.