If the Kansas City Chiefs are interested in signing DeAndre Hopkins this summer, the franchise will need to free up some cap space.

Veteran defensive tackle Chris Jones has just one year remaining on his contract worth $28.3 million in 2023, and ESPN's Adam Schefter outlined a way the Chiefs could reduce that cap number on a new deal with eyes toward potentially signing Hopkins.

Schefter said Tuesday on SportsCenter:

"We have not seen Chris Jones get a new deal when he has one year left on his contract. And with that one year, his cap number is scheduled to count for over $28 million. So the Chiefs could give him a new deal, lower his cap number this year, make their Pro Bowl defensive tackle happy and put him under contract for years to come.

"That is the plan, that at some point this offseason they will get that worked out. That would be part of any idea of potentially having any interest in DeAndre Hopkins. If they can get Chris Jones to sign an extension, lower his cap number, that would give them a little more flexibility to potentially work out something with Hopkins if he were still on the market and hadn't signed elsewhere."

The Chiefs currently have just $652,557 in cap space, according to OverTheCap. That won't suffice in the Hopkins market.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer talked to several team executives on Sunday in an attempt to get a valuation on Hopkins, and it appears the veteran wide receiver is worth $8 million on a one-year deal, and that's at minimum.

Breer wrote:

"I hit up a couple of team execs Sunday to try to get a value on him. One said that if he were a free agent in March, he'd still see Hopkins as an $18 million player on a multiyear deal, but 'it's such a strange time to reach the market; everyone has already spent and allocated.' Another guessed he'd get between $8 million and $10 million on a one-year deal, with some upside built in to make him whole if he could produce at his accustomed level.'"

With the departure of JuJu Smith-Schuster to the New England Patriots in free agency this offseason, the Chiefs could use another target for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Kansas City's depth chart at wide receiver is currently headlined by Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore with depth options including Justin Watson, Rashee Rice and Richie James.

Among those receivers, Valdes-Scantling was the most impactful last season with 42 catches for 687 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games.

While Hopkins missed the first six games of the 2022 season due to a suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy, he was still more impactful than any wide receiver the Chiefs have on their roster.

In nine games with the Arizona Cardinals last season, Hopkins caught 64 passes for 717 yards and three touchdowns.

The Cardinals released Hopkins earlier this offseason as he was set to count for $30 million against the 2023 salary cap. He has already visited with the Tennessee Titans and will visit with the New England Patriots this week.

If Kansas City can come to an agreement on a new deal with Jones, then the Chiefs could be a more likely destination for Hopkins. Until then, the franchise probably shouldn't be considered a true contender for the five-time Pro Bowler.