What’s next for DeAndre Hopkins?

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He wanted to be traded, but no one wanted to absorb his current contract. Now, he’s a free agent.

So where will receiver DeAndre Hopkins land?

He turns 31 on June 6, and he’s had some injuries in recent years. He also missed the first six games of the 2022 season due to a PED suspension.

As a vested veteran, Hopkins becomes an immediate free agent.

Previously, Hopkins displayed interest in playing for the Chiefs and the Bills. More recently, he has expressed admiration of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who separately has expressed interest in adding Hopkins to the roster in Baltimore.

Hopkins told the I Am Athlete podcast earlier this week that he wants stable management, a quarterback who loves the game, and a great defense.

91 responses to “What’s next for DeAndre Hopkins?

  1. He’ll play for the following….Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert.

    His list, not mine.

  2. KC & Buffalo only have about $1M in cap space. Baltimore has about $12M in cap space.

    If I was putting money on it, I’d bet the Ravens. Philly & Chargers might be players in this, too (each have about $12M in space).

  3. Right after the indigestion relieves itself from that humble pie he’s going to have to realize that a team with stable management, a quarterback who loves the game, and a great defense would not welcome him to their team.

  4. Cardinals taking Caleb Williams AND Drake Maye with 1st two picks in 2024

  5. That’s the Steelers, my friend! Come on. They can still drop stupid mistake Allen Robinson like a hot potato and sign you! Let’s go!

  6. Wait…I thought teams were gonna give up a 1st and 3rd Rounder for him….lol

  7. If he wants a true shot at a super bowl with a team who fits all his criteria and can pay him, the obvious choice is the eagles. With that being said, D-Hop is a number 3 in Philly and joining a nuclear loaded offense, would he be happy????

  8. He might help the Texans as CJ Stroud doesn’t have a real WR1 right now. Will he go back home?

  9. KC can make 2 simple moves and go from 1 mill in cap to 6.4 and sign him if they want.

  10. Please come to NYG. We got a QB, RB, stable coaching/mgt (finally) and an up and coming defense. Don’t be a ring chaser going to KC or Buff. That’s lame.

  11. How long is this story going to get dragged out ??
    Whomever gets him will definitely improve their roster for the next 2-3 years but after that not so much…..

  12. Wherever he goes he needs to have a solid season or his stock will plummet.

  13. I hope the Falcons go after him he could do a lot with that offense with Pitts, London, Bijan,CP, and Tyler Alligeir. They have a pretty good offensive line and it’s a winnable division.

  14. He’ll only play for a winner if he agrees to play for peanuts, and history shows he hasn’t been willing to do that.

  15. If he goes to the chiefs on a decent deal just go ahead and give Andy the Lombardi at the beginning of the season.

  16. The Browns. He and Watson had some great years together so why not get them together again…

  17. He’d better set his sights a little lower. If there were teams out there really interested in him, the Cardinals would have tried to trade him. Instead, they released him. He’s 31, with a history of injuries and a PED suspension. Lots of baggage.

  18. He will be a difference maker, but not a player to push team to the SB. Age and injuries will come into play for him at his age now.
    I see him going to Buffalo or KC.

  19. Work your magic, Howie! Eagles have a damn good tandem but they don’t have much depth. He would be perfect. I’d bet on him landing in KC though

  20. The Cowboys should have waited. They signed Cooks but Hopkins is the actual #1 WR they have searched for. Lamb isn’t a #1. Lamb and Hopkins would make them elite at the position in our division where I’m a Washington fan!

  21. He wants lots of “respect” (big $) & only be with with a championship team.

  22. I’d like him to land in Baltimore, but others say well Ravens have too many receivers, wah wah wah. But I have heard that Nelson Agholar doesn’t look good, and with new Kick Off rule Devin Duvernay is a $4M luxury. So I say go for it Ravens!

  23. He’s going to want allot more $ than someone is willing to give him.

  24. Doesn’t he have guaranteed money from AZ so unless someone signs him to a deal that entirely replaces his 2023 salary, AZ covers the diff so it doesn’t really matter what another team can offer? – one reason why AZ kept trying to trade him instead of waiving him earlier??

  25. The need & fit is in Buffalo….it frees up Diggs & Kincaid, this would be enormous in Buffalo

  26. He’s going to want the OBJ contract at a minimum, we’ll see if anyone is willing to pay that now.

  27. The thumbs down are coming and rightfully so on the surface.

    He’s going to Miami.

  28. A QB who loves the game and Lamar is on the list? Surprised Burrow isn’t on his wish list, but I guess he wouldn’t want to be a #3. I’d like to see him play with Hurts. As a Bengals fan I’d hate to see him play with Mahomes. No issues with him going to play with Herbert to waste the rest of his career.

  29. His list of teams he wants to play for includes the Chie…..oh, who are we kidding, he’s going to the highest bidder.

  30. This dude tolerated the Texans for how long, made a lateral move at best to the Cards, and now it’s about being with a QB/staff that loves the game? That shouldn’t have taken a decade to figure out.

  31. toothfairyretributionmanifesto says:
    May 26, 2023 at 1:39 pm

    You can rule out Green Bay

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    Hopkins in Green Bay would be a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. Packers always target long term success over short term benefits. Adding the guy, who undoubtedly is a great talent, would interfere with development of the Packers’ young receivers — including six drafted in the past two years.

    So, extremely unlikely that he ends up in Green Bay.

  32. if he is going to still be paid by AZ then why can’t he take a 1 mill contract from the Bills? its dead cap money, so that money is going to him, so why does a new contracts worth matter?

  33. anyone think this would be a total howie roseman kind of move to wait for him to be released when they were talking about trading for him during the draft???

  34. He is going to the Pats to replace NKeal Harry…the all pro…right Grifter.

  35. My vote is Baltimore, they were dumb enough to give OBJ a large contract not knowing if he can even still play. Any other team non-disillusion team expect a significantly lower contract probably by 50 to 60 percent. KC might offer him the league minimum and that is pretty much all they can afford.

  36. He’s slightly above average now and only at times but his ego massive

  37. Buffalo is my guess if they can figure out what to do with Diggs, who clearly wants out.

  38. Agree he wont end up in Green Bay but not because it would impede development of the young receivers. Packers took all the Rodgers cap pain this year so they cant afford to pay him and Jordan Love is too much of an unknown for Hopkins at this point.

  39. Mahomes will work his magic and Brett Veach will have him in the Kingdom shortly

  40. Stable Management? Check.
    QB who is competent? Check.
    Great Defense? Check.

    Minnesota it is!

    Actually, nevermind, just kidding 😂!

  41. If DeAndre is chasing a ring; he will have to sign for just 2-3 million. If he is looking for a pay check he can get significantly more.

  42. “KC & Buffalo only have about $1M in cap space. Baltimore has about $12M in cap space.” It’s so cute when people act like the NFL salary cap is a thing any team sees as anything other than a minor obstacle that is easy to overcome. Restructure two or three contracts and – BINGO! – plenty of cap space!

  43. mykelane says:
    May 26, 2023 at 1:26 pm
    He’ll play for the following….Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert.

    His list, not mine.

    ————

    If I were him I would go KC or Bills, even if it were a little less money. Play with a QB that can actually get you the ball and show off your skills. With Mahomes or Allen he could look like 2007 Moss with Brady. I would stay far away from the Chargers. They aren’t well coached. Balt or Philly are kind of the same to me. Those are run first offenses and the QBs are great but not the same level of passers as Mahomes and Allen.

  44. It doesn’t matter how close to the cap teams are. There’s always ways to rework deals etc to get more space. The real question is how much are teams willing to spend on him. I have a feeling he will want way more than the Chiefs will be willing to spend.

  45. It won’t be Philly. There’s only 1 football to go around. They already have 1A & 1B WR’s in A.J. Brown & DeVonta Smith who are only 25 & 24 years old and under contract for the next couple years. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see another disgruntled Cardinal, Budda Baker, in an Eagles uniform.

  46. Chasing money and diminishing returns, most likely. He got paid and now he’s an afterthought with no legacy.

    Might be worth the Chiefs shuffling money to get him just to keep him from being an x-factor for another AFC team.

  47. Not saying it’s going to happen, but with the cap room they have and guaranteed they had interest in him, the Pats will toss him dollars for a one year deal. Figure how they did the Revis deal.

  48. What’s next for Deandre Hopkins? 6 months off and the league minimum.

  49. If I’m Dhop, I’m heading to Buffalo. There is no better QB or organization that Dhop can finish his career with. And win a Super Bowl. Go and have fun with the Bills.

  50. He may be surprised to see what the market is for an aging wr coming off of injuries and a ped suspension

  51. He’ll find somewhere that has all that, but then “feel disrespected” when that team offers him $2M a year for a 1 year deal.

  52. Rest of league played the cards like fiddle. Couldn’t get a 2nd round pick they wanted. Now they’ll get nothing.

  53. KC or Baltimore…QB he wants to play for, two teams in need of a WR like him. The other QB he mentioned wouldnt be as good fits with the teams as he wouldnt be the top option and they already have solid options as their top 2 WR. KC and Baltimore…instant #1 WR.

  54. What’s next for DeAndre? Hopefully it’s him saying, “Would you like fries with that?”

  55. If KC can afford him and he can stay injury free that’s a SB winning combo waiting to happen.

  56. Among the teams he wants to play for, only the Bills have a clear need. Can he get more than a one year deal?

  57. Haven’t $ all $ you $ fans $ and $ commentators $ figured $ out $ after $ all $ these $ years $ that $ words $ and $ wishes $ account $ for $ about 1% $ of $ where $ a $ player $ ends $ up $ signing$?$?$?$?$?

  58. By the way, I have no idea why people are clamoring for him on their teams though. He’s on the wrong side of 30 now and had two down years including a lot of injuries. Fans seem to love names and don’t watch actual football. He has already lost a step.

  59. I bet a lot of teams will make offers for Hopkins. Of course, most will be performance based….a minimum contract with big bonuses for meeting targets. It would be a win-win for the team that gets him.

  60. The Bills are going nowhere this year. They night not even make the playoffs given that the Jets and Dolphins will likely finish higher in that division.

    If Hopkins wants a ring, he should go to the Chiefs, eagles, Bengals or Niners. I would normally add Buffalo, but they didn’t finish strongly last year and their division is stronger than ever.

  61. Has a Cards fan I am sad by this news. Has a Texans fan as well he had some of his best yrs in Houston and would love to see him come back especially with the new team they are building.

  62. tb4prez says:
    May 26, 2023 at 2:56 pm
    B.B. On line 1, welcome to the Dynasty (part II)

    ————————————-

    The only way he winds up with the Pats is if it turns out no one else is interested and he winds up doing a low priced team freindly deal. Both things very unlikely to happen.

  63. If it was all about physical talent, Antonio Brown would still be a star NFL player. Hopkins is cut from the same cloth. A few years agon, Hopkins and Brown were the two best WR’s in the league. Then, they both got screws loose. It happens.

  64. Come to Buffalo DeAndre. The weather is beautiful this time of the year.

  65. jm91rs says:
    May 26, 2023 at 2:31 pm
    A QB who loves the game and Lamar is on the list? Surprised Burrow isn’t on his wish list, but I guess he wouldn’t want to be a #3. I’d like to see him play with Hurts. As a Bengals fan I’d hate to see him play with Mahomes. No issues with him going to play with Herbert to waste the rest of his career.
    __________________________________________

    Players watch film. They know Burrow is an overrated media creation that benefits way more than most from the great skill position players around him.

  66. charliecharger says:
    May 26, 2023 at 7:08 pm
    If it was all about physical talent, Antonio Brown would still be a star NFL player. Hopkins is cut from the same cloth. A few years agon, Hopkins and Brown were the two best WR’s in the league. Then, they both got screws loose. It happens
    __________________________________________

    How exactly does Hopkins compare to Antonio Brown’s antics? Brown is borderline psychotic on his way to prison and Hopkins was trying to get out of the sports prison known as the Arizona Cardinals.

  67. If he’s willing to accept a lesser role and less money for a realistic shot to get to the Superbowl, Philly would be the spot. They have an established contender and don’t have the gauntlet that Buffalo or KC has to get to the big game. If he’s looking for a bigger payday or a multi year deal, then he can find work elsewhere.

  68. It makes a lot of sense to go to the Titans. The Titans could be a bounce back team with healthy quarterback, overhauled offensive line, and really good defense. They were a playoff team last year until they lost seven in a row, and we’re still making muted away from the playoffs with a cast off quarterback. He could be paired with an up and coming Traylon Burks, make Burks the two instead of the one. Completely change the dynamic of that team in a weak division.

  69. You can rule out Green Bay
    ——
    Really, fan of team with 31st rank defense?

  70. From most of the comments here the majority seems think that a team is going to get the D-Hop from 3-5yrs ago when truth is whatever team lands him isn’t going to get no where near the player D-Hop was 3-5yrs ago, that ship has sailed!

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