DeAndre Hopkins will also leave the Tennessee Titans and excel elsewhere

From AJ Brown to Derrick Henry to other recent players, it seems best for a good Tennessee Titans player like DeAndre Hopkins to go elsewhere.

It's getting harder and harder to worry about the short-term issues of these Tennessee Titans. They might be the worst team in the NFL. The season isn't even half over yet and there's no excitement or mystery about what lies ahead.

The Titans will continue to try to win, although losing and improving their draft positioning will be more advisable in the long run.

Only if you use the logic of bad NFL teams does it seem like a good idea to have a potential Hall of Fame receiver – and someone who is still the most accomplished, reliable and naturally gifted player on that terrible team – traded for a Day 3 draft pick.

But sending receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs for a conditional fourth-round pick is a win for everyone involved.

Hopkins, 32, is under contract for this season only. He wouldn't help the Titans. Why not get something back for him? The Chiefs are getting a player who can help them return to the Super Bowl.

And here's the biggest winner on Wednesday's news:

Hopkins.

More and more often, the best thing that can happen to a Titans player's career lately is that he leaves. I expect Hopkins to make it in Kansas City because he's a very good player, and that's what good players continue to do once they come off these Titans.

Call it the curse of the AJ Brown trade. A trend began with Brown totaling nearly 1,500 receiving yards in consecutive seasons in Philadelphia (he topped 1,075 at Tennessee). Since then, it has become routine for Titans fans to witness the sight of former players thriving with new teams in ways they haven't – or in some cases never have – with the Titans.

Do you think Derrick Henry, suddenly reliving his career high as a member of the Baltimore Ravens, regrets his decision to sign there as a free agent after last season? Henry is burning. On Tuesday, I was in the Nashville Predators locker room and a TV kept showing highlights of Henry's run against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. You can't even escape it with another sport.

For a Titans fan, these Ravens highlights have to be even more painful than Browns at the Eagles.

There are others too.

Safety Kevin Byard didn't have a good time in Philly, but he's having a nice rebound season with the Chicago Bears and is contributing to that franchise's resurgence.

Defensive back Elijah Molden has two interceptions in six games for the Los Angeles Chargers. In 33 games with the Titans, he had two interceptions.

And of course, it only took quarterback Malik Willis a few weeks with the Green Bay Packers to return to Nissan Stadium and embarrass the Titans by wearing two-tone blue like he never had before.

And, hey, just wait until Denico Autry and Azeez Al-Shaair return to Nashville with the Houston Texans to take down this Titans team. Or the chronically underrated Ryan Tannehill signs somewhere in the middle of the season and emerges fresh and ready to surprise with a decent offensive line, or – and brace yourself for this possibility, Titans fans – Mike Vrabel becomes head coach of, say, the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The point is that while the Titans continue to falter, many of their best pieces in recent memory are helping other franchises. Or they are willing to help another franchise.

What the DeAndre Hopkins trade means: Are the Tennessee Titans selling? How this affects Will Levis

Hopkins' success in KC seems imminent. If he's healthy, he'll be good for the Chiefs. He was good against two bad Titans teams, which unfortunately will be the lasting memory of Hopkins' short stay. He never had much of a chance of winning anything. But last season, he played in all 17 games and finished with 1,057 receiving yards. He also developed a relationship with Will Levis that no other Titans receiver could boast. Levis missed Henry's presence. He will also miss Hopkins.

The Titans are no better without Hopkins, even though they did the right thing in letting him go. And something tells me no one in the Titans locker room will be crying for D-Hop today.

Most of his (former) teammates, if you were honest, would probably say they're jealous.

Reach Tennessee sports columnist Gentry Estes at [email protected] and on the X Platform (formerly known as Twitter) @Gentry_Estes.

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