Hunting for a Home: Who will take on DeAndre Hopkins?

The Arizona Cardinals could not find a trade partner for three-time All Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, so they elected to release him. This gives the 31 year-old pass catcher a chance to latch on with any team in the NFL, and it’ll be interesting to see who pursues him and where he’d prefer to land.

There were two teams rumored to be in warm pursuit of Hopkins via the trade market before he was released, and the Chiefs were one of those organizations. This makes a ton of sense, considering that they never replaced Juju Smith-Schuster, who left in free agency. Hopkins would immediately slide in as the number one receiver, and have a legitimate chance to win a Super Bowl.

The other team who were actively poking around for Hopkins’ services was the Bills. The fit in Buffalo is a little more intriguing, considering that Stefon Diggs has paced the receiving corps since he arrived three years ago. Gabriel Davis is also a threat outside, and the team just drafted a tight end in the first round.

The Steelers have found a way to remain competitive for the last twenty years, thanks to the infrastructure that head coach Mike Tomlin has developed. The team finished 9-8 a year ago in what was supposed to be a rebuilding campaign. Adding Hopkins’ explosiveness to a young skill position group might make Pittsburgh dangerous in 2023.

While it’s not 2015 anymore, the Ravens could try to create a receiving corps that would have been viewed as elite a few years ago. Baltimore has already signed Odell Beckham Jr., and bringing in Hopkins to flank him could signify the organization’s commitment to improving the passing game weapons around quarterback Lamar Jackson.

One extremely interesting location that Hopkins could land is in Cleveland. He has a ton of familiarity with quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is looking to get his career back on track. Hopkins had some of the best years of his career with Watson under center when the two both played for the Houston Texans.

Historically, the Raiders cannot be counted out of any “big swing” transactions, and this would certainly qualify. Las Vegas knows that they have the unenviable task of remaining competitive against some high-scoring teams in the AFC West, and a Davante Adams-Hopkins duo would be scary on paper.

The Broncos are looking to bounce back from a dismal season in 2023 under new head coach Sean Payton. His primary job will be to revitalize an offense that fell well short of expectations last year. While receiving talent wouldn’t seem to be an issue at first glance, Payton may want to double down what seems to be a position of strength by adding Hopkins.

New York had an impressive resurgence last season, making the playoffs under first year coach Brian Daboll. However, it can be truthfully said that they accomplished this without a reliable set of receivers. The Giants would like to keep defenses honest a bit more in 2023, and Hopkins could help them do that.

It feels like the Patriots have taken a myriad of chances on receivers that they think will help bolster their offense, and that those moves have been met with limited success. They don’t have the most potent of passing games anymore, but Hopkins’ addition could help counteract some strong secondaries New England will face in the AFC East.

The Cowboys decided to move on from Amari Cooper ahead of the 2022 season, and it might’ve ultimately held them back. Michael Gallup never showed the same form he put on tape before the ACL injury in 2021, which left CeeDee Lamb as the primary target of defensive back coverage. Hopkins could return to the state of Texas and help Dallas get over the hump.

The Bears have shown an interest to help improve the talent in the receiving department this offseason, as they’ve already brought in D.J. Moore. Chicago could really help quarterback Justin Fields take the next step by bringing in Hopkins, who has excelled in contested catch situations throughout his career.

Even though they’ve been retooling since the retirement of Drew Brees, New Orleans has been boxed out of relevance in their own division by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Brady is no longer in Tampa, however, which means the window to contention has re-opened. Adding Hopkins brings a reliable presence to help insure the status of the oft-injured Michael Thomas.

The Rams saw just how difficult life was when they didn’t have a consistent player taking pressure off superstar wide receiver Cooper Kupp. They thought Allen Robinson might be that guy, but have since moved on. Hopkins’ resume should help tilt the field more evenly for Kupp to resume his dominance against single coverage.