Potential DeAndre Hopkins Landing Spots

DeAndre Hopkins has been released by the Arizona Cardinals. He reportedly has multiple suitors and may sign with a team soon. Here are some of his possible and most likely landing spots. 

Potential Hopkins Landing Spots

Kansas City Chiefs

The first and most obvious landing spot we will talk about is the Chiefs. This seems like the perfect match for all parties involved. Kansas City could use a true WR1 on the outside to complement star tight end Travis Kelce, and entering his age 31 season, Hopkins is likely focusing on winning a championship over making as much money as possible. During his NFL career, Hopkins has made in the area of $90 million from his contracts alone but has only played in a grand total of six playoff games with two victories in 10 years. 

Where better to go win than with the best quarterback in the world and reigning Super Bowl champions? Hopkins has played with a lot of subpar quarterbacks throughout his career so he more than deserves to have Patrick Mahomes throw him the ball for a few seasons. He may have to take a bit less money, but barring something unforeseen happening it would almost guarantee the deepest playoff run of his career immediately. 

Buffalo Bills

Along with the Chiefs, the Bills are the team most heavily linked to Hopkins. This makes sense for all the same reasons Kansas City does but is just a bit worse all around. The Bills are legitimate contenders but they aren't as good as the Chiefs. Josh Allen is a good quarterback but he's not as good as Mahomes, especially as a passer. The Bills could use another wideout but Stefon Diggs will still be the WR1. He would also probably have to take a slightly bigger pay cut to go to Buffalo. The really interesting thing about this landing spot is the dynamic with Diggs though. We've already seen Diggs throw a few tantrums on the sideline and rumors have floated around about his days in Buffalo being numbered for one reason or the other. It's unclear if playing together is a selling point or deterrent for either Diggs or Hopkins.  

Cleveland Browns

We have heard reports that there is mutual interest between both Hopkins and the Browns. The obvious link between the two being quarterback DeShaun Watson who is easily the best quarterback Hopkins has ever played with. Assuming Watson does return to his pre-suspension form, which he was far from last season, it's understandable why this is an appealing option for Hopkins. While they would be a formidable duo for any defense to deal with and both could pile up numbers together, Hopkins doesn't make this team a true contender. There is a real chance it doesn't even make them a playoff team. This makes all the sense in the world for the Browns but maybe not so much for Hopkins. However, his relationship with Watson and the team's ability to pay him more money could sway his decision. 

New England Patriots

The Patriots are forever linked to top wide receivers because they can't seem to find one. This is the team most desperate for a WR1 and they have been for years now. So their interest would make all the sense in the world. With that said, we aren't so sure about this one. The Patriots would likely have to pay up to get him and strongly outbid his other suitors because why else would he go there? This isn't the Patriots of old where players dealt with Bill Belichick because he was winning titles and the greatest quarterback of all time was throwing the ball. The Pats are now struggling to stay out of the basement in the AFC East and Mac Jones has a noodle arm and may lose his job to Bailey Zappe. They just don't have much to offer aside from money and they don't exactly throw that around to big-named free agents. This seems like more of a long shot. 

Baltimore Ravens

Then we have the Ravens who are linked to Hopkins because they were reportedly interested in trading for Hopkins before he was cut. However, it's unclear if the Ravens still feel like they need him after drafting Zay Flowers in the first round and signing Odell Beckham Jr just days before the draft. The Ravens have been another WR-deficient team for years and it's a roll of the dice to just assume a rookie and a potential washed-up veteran coming off a second major knee surgery is enough to turn things around. Adding Hopkins could also extend some good will to quarterback Lamar Jackson who finally re-signed with the team after a couple of tumultuous offseasons. Adding Flowers and Beckham definitely drive them down the list of likely landing spots but not off of it.