By Marvin Moore May 30, 2023
The sweepstakes for the NFL’s marquee free agent wide receiver is heating up as DeAndre Hopkins explores his options for the upcoming 2023 season.
The five-time Pro Bowl wideout was released by the Arizona Cardinals last week after three seasons in the desert. Hopkins, who will celebrate his 31st birthday on June 6, has plenty left in the tank after posting 64 receptions for 717 yards and three touchdowns in just nine games a year ago.
The Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and Philadelphia Eagles are the favorites to land the future Hall of Famer. However, the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Houston Texans, and Dallas Cowboys have also expressed interest in signing the explosive playmaker.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes the Bills are the frontrunner to add Hopkins. “When you talk to other NFL teams, they think the Bills are a threat here and have been for a while,” said Fowler. The former Clemson standout also mentioned Josh Allen when asked which quarterback “he’d love” to play with in an interview recently with the “I Am Athlete” podcast with Brandon Marshall.
The Chiefs had discussions to acquire Hopkins via trade earlier this year, according to Sports Illustrated Senior NFL writer Albert Breer. However, a potential trade was derailed in April when the Baltimore Ravens inked free-agent receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to a one-year deal worth $15 million.
“Kansas City made progress toward a deal, but things went a little sideways when Odell Beckham Jr. got $15 million in base pay from Baltimore, making Hopkins feel like he should land at least that much, given that Beckham didn’t play last year,” wrote Breer.
A reunion with Deshaun Watson in Cleveland is also a possibility. Hopkins posted three All-Pro seasons with Watson in Houston and caught 104 balls for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns in their final season together in 2020.
Hopkins was scheduled to earn a $19.45 million base salary before getting released and is seeking a multi-year deal worth more than $20 million annually. Spotrac projects Hopkins receiving a two-year deal worth $38 million or a contract similar to what Odell Beckham Jr. got from the Ravens, which would be $18 million per season, including incentives.
A top-five receiver when healthy, Hopkins’ 11,298 career receiving yards is the eighth-most through a player’s first ten seasons in NFL history, and his 853 receptions rank fourth all-time after a player’s first decade. He has recorded six 1,000-plus yard seasons and has reeled in over 100 passes four times.
The South Carolina native is not shy about what he wants in his new team. Besides stable management, Hopkins also likes to play with a quarterback who loves the game as much as he does. The former first-rounder is also seeking a team with a championship-caliber defense.
Although two anonymous NFL executives have questioned Hopkin’s ability to separate from defensive backs in recent years, speed was never a cornerstone of Hopkins’ skillset. A crisp route runner in the mold of Jerry Rice, he consistently found ways to get open last season after recovering from a torn MCL injury.
Hopkins remains an elite receiver whose tank is far from empty. It’s a good bet he will put up impressive numbers for his new team this season and prove the naysayers wrong again.
