In a move that in theory should have been shocking but in practice felt inevitable the Arizona Cardinals released five time Pro Bowl Wide Receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The move ended a three season stint in the desert that saw phenomenal heights in his first season (115 receptions for 1,407 yards and 6 TDs) and disappointment in his next two (19 total games played, 106 receptions, 1,289 yards and 11 TDs) as the 30 year old star fought through injuries during that time. 

Arizona had been trying to move Hopkins via trade, reportedly only the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills engaged in “Substantive trade talks” with the team. Complicating the matter is the reported contention that some members of the Cardinals organization have that Hopkins was healthy enough to play in the final two games of last season but refused, according to former Cardinals writer Kyle Odegard. In short the split seemed evident and that most likely led to a cold trade market. Still it is surprising that Arizona opted to take a $22.6 million dead cap hit, with starting Quarterback Kyler Murray likely to miss a significant amount of time dealing with a torn ACL it seems that the Cardinals are for lack of a better term tanking. 

Let’s look ahead and try to figure out where the best landing spot for Hopkins would be. At 30 and only a few days shy of his 31st birthday and coming off a knee injury that again some Cardinals employees dispute, Hopkins isn’t the Super Star, sure fire number one option any longer. However he still seems to have something left in the tank and for contending teams it just makes sense to take a chance on the former All-Pro. So let’s begin with the two teams that were rumored to be in on trading for Hopkins. 

Kansas City Chiefs 

I’m not going to mess around with you dear reader, the Chiefs seem like an absolute no brainer landing spot for Hopkins. Coming off a Super Bowl title with the league’s best Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, not to mention an all time great Tight End in Travis Kelce and the offensive genius of Andy Reed. I’m genuinely worried that in the time it takes to write this blog post it will be announced that Kansas City has already signed him. If you’re a betting person, put your money on the Chiefs. 

Buffalo Bills 

The Bills are probably the next best thing to the Chiefs, it might cost Buffalo more but if they are serious about contending for a title this year they have to go all in on Hopkins. Josh Allen and Stephon Diggs would be enough to court many players and Gabe Davis would thrive as a number 3 option in a way he really wasn’t able to last year as the number 2 threat. After two straight disappointing playoff runs Buffalo really hasn’t done anything to wow me in terms of improving this offseason, this could be that move. 

Other Options 

Miami Dolphins 

I wish. The idea of pairing Hopkins with the speed of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle has to have Mike McDaniel salivating. The Dolphins looked unstoppable on offense at times last season when Tua Tagovailoa was healthy. With Hopkins they would be unstoppable. The salary cap really puts a wet blanket on this idea as they are only a little over $2 million over the salary cap at time of writing. I accept that sometimes the cap isn’t real but other times it unfortunately is. 

Philadelphia Eagles 

The Eagles were painfully close to winning a title last season and look well positioned to take another run at it in 2023. Jalen Hurts proved to the world that he can be an elite option at quarterback and that was due in no small part to his receivers. A. J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for 2,692 yards and 18 TDs enroute to establishing themselves as one of the best duos in the league. Adding Hopkins would only serve to add another level to the potent Philly attack. 

Baltimore Ravens 

With the Lamar Jackson contract saga over it is time for the Ravens to go all in. They already signed Odell Beckham Jr. adding Hopkins would give Jackson by far and away the most talented receiving core of his career. Hopkins would be the cherry on top of a great offseason for Baltimore. 

As I said above I do believe Hopkins will sign with the Chiefs, as is so often the case in sports the rich get richer.

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