One of the names mentioned most frequently this offseason in trade rumors was Arizona Cardinals wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins. The former All-Pro was reportedly put on the trade block early in the offseason as Arizona was undergoing a bit of a rebuild with a new regime in place.
New head coach Jonathan Gannon spoke as if he planned on having DeAndre Hopkins in the lineup come Week 1. After general manager Monti Ossenfort seemingly pulled him off the trade block after the 2023 NFL Draft, that looked like it would be the case.
However, DeAndre Hopkins will indeed be on the move. Ossenfort was right, it wouldn’t be by trade. Instead, it will be via free agency as the Cardinals opted to release him, giving him the chance to choose where he plays next.
DeAndre Hopkins has provided hints as to where he wants to go next, naming different quarterbacks he would like to play with. The names aren’t too surprising, as they are some of the brightest and biggest stars that the league has to offer at the position.
However, there will assuredly be a ton of teams interested in signing DeAndre Hopkins. Where could he end up? Here are three teams who need to pursue him in free agency.
One of the quarterbacks that DeAndre Hopkins mentioned that he wanted to play with was Josh Allen. Coincidentally, the Bills have also been in the market for an upgrade at the wide receiver position this offseason.
Buffalo has a star in Stefon Diggs as their No. 1 option but they were seeking a more consistent producer behind him. Gabriel Davis still has some boom-or-bust to his game, which has led to some up-and-down performances in the passing game. There are no proven commodities behind them either with Jamison Crowder and Isaiah McKenzie moving on in free agency.
Adding DeAndre Hopkins to the lineup would help take the No. 2 ranked offense from last season to another level. He and Diggs would combine to be one of the top wide receiver duos in the NFL.
Another quarterback that DeAndre Hopkins mentioned as wanting to play with was Patrick Mahomes. Like the Bills, they have also been on the lookout for a veteran addition to their wide receiver depth chart.
Kansas City lost a lot of production in free agency with JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman joining the New England Patriots and New York Jets. They did select Rashee Rice in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but they are relying on a lot of youngsters to step up this season.
Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney and Rice have little to no NFL experience. Bringing in DeAndre Hopkins would allow Andy Reid and his staff to bring them along at a slower pace in case they are not ready for a starter’s workload. He could combine with Marquez Valdes-Scantling as the top targets along with Travis Kelce until the young guys are ready for full-time roles.
Speaking of inexperienced skill position groups, no one in the NFL has the Packers topped. The transition from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love is a hard enough task to overcome; having Love out there surrounded by players with barely any more professional experience than him would be a lot to ask.
Right now, the Packers’ top three wide receivers are Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed. Two of their top three tight ends are Luke Musgrave and Tyler Kraft. Watson and Doubs are both entering Year 2 while Reed, Musgrave and Kraft were all drafted in 2023.
Green Bay has to add some experience to their offense to help ease Love’s transition. DeAndre Hopkins would be a great addition not only because he can still produce at a high level but to become a mentor for the young players to learn from.
