DeAndre Hopkins is one of the NFL’s most intriguing non-free agents. Traded three years ago to the Arizona Cardinals to help propel them to greatness, he’s now a 30-year-old (nearly 31) on a team that’s lost 20 of its last 28 contests. With Arizona reportedly open to unloading him, here are four intriguing landing spots for the recently all-world receiver — as well as his likely fantasy football value.
DeAndre Hopkins Free Agency Predictions
If Arizona gets the right offer, we have to believe Hopkins will be on the move. This franchise is in partial blow-up mode with top-heavy offensive playmakers and glaring weaknesses throughout their roster. Playing in the relatively tough NFC West doesn’t help.
On the assumption he wants to go the Odell Beckham Jr. route (abandon a hopeless cause and land on a Super Bowl contender), I’m eyeing four fascinating landing spots for Hopkins.
Joining the Defending-Champion Kansas City Chiefs?
JuJu Smith-Schuster was a one-year rental. Mecole Hardman topped out as a secondary contributor. While Kansas City still has an above-average receiving corps, much of that is due to the aging (though not yet “aged”) Travis Kelce, who’s coming off the second-highest target share of his career.
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Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and perhaps even Skyy Moore could be major contributors in 2023. But Toney’s injury history and Moore’s seemingly slow development are concerning. For the Chiefs to remain Super Bowl favorites ahead of Week 1, I believe they’ll need an instant-impact receiver.
I’ll share more on this below. But suffice it to say, Hopkins can still play at a very high level. Despite his legitimate durability concerns, the Chiefs probably won’t get a better opportunity to dramatically upgrade their receiving corps until the weeks leading up to the fall’s trade deadline.
A Fearsome Trio With the Buffalo Bills?
Buffalo is in a bit of a rut. They’ve swapped out Devin Singletary for the verifiably faster and stronger Damien Harris, adding a much-needed goal-line threat and chain mover. It remains to be seen whether letting Isaiah McKenzie walk (and signing Trent Sherfield) will be a net plus.
But here’s what we do know: A threesome of Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, and Hopkins could make Buffalo the team to beat in the AFC. We know how incredible Diggs is, and we can imagine how good Davis could be with further development. If Buffalo is willing to trade assets for a chance to win the next Super Bowl, Hopkins could be the missing piece.
Co-No. 1 WR on the Ascending Chicago Bears?
It might sound ludicrous. After all, this team now has DJ Moore to go with Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, and Cole Kmet. Aren’t they set?
Of course not. As great as Moore is, and as solid as Kmet appears to be, the verdict is still out on Mooney and Claypool. Let’s not forget that Mooney thrived as the team’s only reliable pass catcher in 2021. As I’ve written for nearly two years, he profiles better as a secondary offensive option than a primary one.
And Claypool didn’t exactly gel with his new team last season while enduring a terrible drop rate. Yes, he’s useful. But I don’t see him as a top 50 or even a top 60 NFL receiver.
The Bears have cap space and a pressing need to capitalize on a potentially winnable NFC North. Pairing Moore with Hopkins would give Fields one of the best tandems in the conference.
Difference-Maker on the Underrated Detroit Lions?
My favorite long shot to land Hopkins is also my favorite long shot to win Super Bowl 58. Like Chicago, the Lions have cap space, are ascending, and are in a division that is eminently winnable.
They’ve invested wisely in secondary help during the offseason, and surely that defensive-minded approach will continue in the draft. In the meantime, I’m eyeing a commitment to one more impact receiver. Grouping Hopkins with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams could give Jared Goff the NFL’s best trio.
DeAndre Hopkins Market Value, Career Stats, and More
Hopkins’ market value has taken a hit in the last two years because of injuries and a lengthy suspension.
But let’s put things in perspective. At 30 years old, he compiled a sterling 64-717-3 receiving line last year in only nine games. Across a full season, that projects to a 121-1,354-6 line. In what world is that not “great”?
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Any team that trades for him accepts the risk of an aging superstar with higher-than-normal injury risks. At the same time, this is a rare opportunity to buy low on a wideout who can still be one of the best in the game any given week.
For teams that might be one receiver away from strong title contention (see: the 2021 Rams), Hopkins can deliver.
Hopkins’ Career Stats
- Receptions: 853
- Receiving Yards: 11,298
- Receiving Touchdowns: 71