DeAndre Hopkins, a five-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro receiver, was unexpectedly released by the Arizona Cardinals on Friday, which came as a shock to much of the NFL community.
As a receiver who is still clearly in his prime at just 30 years old, Hopkins was initially expected to be traded to a contender in exchange for draft capital. However, he has now been released, giving the other 31 NFL teams the opportunity to add him to their rosters.
The question now is, who should seriously consider and sign Hopkins?
I think it’s fair to expect that Hopkins’ asking price will probably be more than Odell Beckham Jr’s 1 year, $15 million deal with Baltimore, so he will be a massive investment for any team that signs him.
Let’s “hop” right into the teams that should be interested in signing him.
5. New England Patriots
The Patriots didn’t exactly go into the off-season and get big-name wide receivers to bolster a core that was lackluster, to say the least in 2022.
The pass catchers they added were former Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki via free agency, former Chiefs Wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster, and former LSU Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte via the draft.
DeVante Parker is currently listed as their number 1 pass catcher on the team’s unofficial depth chart, and that just sounds very underwhelming. They need a true number 1 like Hopkins to help Mac Jones, and it sure does help that some of Hopkins’ most productive seasons came in Patriots Offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien’s offense in Houston. The Patriots should be heavily involved in this ensuing bidding war.
4. Kansas City Chiefs
Yes. The defending Super Bowl Champs. The thought of adding D-Hop to the Chiefs is just terrifying. Patrick Mahomes throwing the ball to Travis Kelce is already unstoppable enough for NFL defenses, and adding Hopkins to that should be made illegal.
While Kelce is there and should be as good as ever, if the season started now, the Chiefs would be trotting out a receiver core of Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, and Richie James as their top 4 receivers.
Yes. Patrick Mahomes will in all likelihood take its group of mediocre players and turn them into above-average contributors while looking absolutely brilliant himself, this core could use a little bit more juice. DeAndre Hopkins is not a bit more juice. He is an entire carton of juice. Maybe even a juice factory. The Chiefs don’t need Hopkins, so should they want to invest 15+ million dollars money in a luxury? This is DeAndre Hopkins. They absolutely should.
3. New York Giants
If the season started this Sunday, the Giants will be trotting one of the worse receiving cores in the league. Isaiah Hodgins, Parris Campbell, Darius Slayton, Jaylin Hyatt, and Sterling Shepard as the top 5 is not exactly an ideal situation at the receiver position, especially when Daniel Jones isn’t a top-tier quarterback in the league.
Hopkins would come in and immediately make this team better. All the players mentioned above are pretty good Number 2 – Number 6 pass catchers, just not the best as primary receivers.
Darren Waller, brought in via trade from Las Vegas, hasn’t had a 1,000+ yard receiving season since 2020, so counting on him to step in and immediately provide a Kelce or George Kittle-level impact is just not feasible. The only real reason why the Giants would be skeptical about giving Hopkins the hefty deal he wants is the fact that they are a rush offense, and the dynamic duo of RB Saquon Barkley and Jones lead of the best zone read offenses in the league. Jones’ ability as a pure passer is also questioned and may make Hopkins want to go with more proven passers such as Mahomes, Josh Allen, or others.
2. New York Jets
The Jets are more or less, all-in. They traded for legendary QB Aaron Rodgers. They signed Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb to meet Rodgers’ demands, according to multiple reports. Garrett Wilson is one of the best receivers in the entire league, and that instantly makes New York’s pass-catching unit the best on this ranking. However, Hopkins might give the Jets one of the best complete offenses in the NFL. Garrett Wilson and Nuk will certainly tear NFL defenses apart, giving DCs around the league no single focal point to focus on.
I think the Jets shouldn’t even worry about the money needed to bring in Hopkins. They were already prepared to splurge on OBJ and Hopkins is better than OBJ. Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh should only have one thing on their mind right now with the 39-year-old Rodgers. Bring in whoever they need to win a Super Bowl.
1. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens started the off-season with one big question on their minds: Will Lamar Jackson be back with the team long-term? That question has been answered, as Jackson inked a record-breaking 5-year deal worth $260 million.
The Ravens added Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham Jr to bolster a lackluster group of pass catchers. Now is that enough? Maybe. But Hopkins would give Jackson a true number 1, something neither Flowers nor OBJ are. At some point, the Ravens need to just go all-in, give Jackson everything they possibly can, and just do their best to win it all. Adding Hopkins is a big part of that.
So there it is. The Baltimore Ravens are the team that should pursue Hopkins the most. Will Hopkins sign here? Maybe. Maybe not. But then that’s what makes the NFL special!
