DeAndre Hopkins is coming off the two worst seasons of his NFL career.
He reportedly asked for a change of scenery to try and find the form that made him a four-time All-Pro receiver, and months later, the team appears to have agreed it’s time to move on.
Hopkins, who has three seasons with 111 or more receptions – but only 106 in the last two years combined – will generate interest with two years left on his contract. Arizona has indicated it will look for a trade partner; it’s all changed in Arizona with a new head coach and staff.
Hopkins will be 31 next season, and he’s expensive. But he no longer has a no-trade clause, voided after Hopkins was suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs, and Arizona can ship him anywhere it wants.
Bookies.com oddsmaker Adam Thompson has used his NFL contacts developed over 20 years covering the sport to create these hypothetical NFL futures odds on Hopkins’ 2023 team.
DeAndre Hopkins 2023 Team Odds
| Team | Odds | Implied Probability |
| Baltimore Ravens | +120 | 45.5% |
| Carolina Panthers | +500 | 16.7% |
| Buffalo Bills | +650 | 13.3% |
| Chicago Bears | +650 | 13.3% |
| Kansas City Chiefs | +950 | 9.5% |
| New England Patriots | +1200 | 7.7% |
| Arizona Cardinals | +1500 | 6.3% |
| The Field | +1200 | 7.7% |
The odds above are hypothetical and have been created by the Bookies.com team for entertainment purposes only. They are not widely available on legal betting apps or betting sites.
Hopkins was a star with the Texans after being drafted by the team in 2013. From 2017-19, the WR averaged 105 receptions, 1,372 yards, and 10 touchdowns. He was shipped out of Houston and was sent to Arizona, where he and Kyler Murray connected 115 times for 1,407 yards and six scores in 2020.
Photo: IMAGNThe last two seasons haven’t gone as smoothly. Injuries and his PED suspension limited Hopkins’ time on the field. There will be hope he can produce WR1-level numbers again.
He’s prohibitively expensive for some teams. Hopkins’ cap hit of $30.8 million for 2023 and $26.2M for 2024 is second only to Tyreek Hill among WRs. That will keep some teams away, but not all of them. The indication is he wants to play for a throw-first QB on a competitive team – perhaps a slight dig at Kyler Murray and the Cards.
Based on rumored internal conversations, the Chiefs and Bills are atop his wish list, which makes sense. Kansas City and Buffalo are now perennial title contenders and are led by two of the premier playmaking QBs in, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Neither is in a spot to acquire Hopkins without creating a major amount of cap room.
Hopkins met with new Arizona general manager Monti Ossenfort and “had a good conversation.” With a new coach also in the fold, perhaps fences can still be mended. Arizona doesn’t have to do anything it doesn’t want to do. Given the cost, it may not find a trade partner, and the Cardinals only save $8 million in cap space by releasing or trading him before June 1. After June 1, that saving jumps to more than $19 million.
So who has considerable cap space and a massive need at receiver? We’ve pegged the Bears, Panthers, Bills, and Ravens – although the future of Lamar Jackson looms large in Baltimore. The Bears have more salary cap space than any other team. If the Ravens are trying to make Lamar happy, adding a true No. 1 receiver to join recently acquired Odell Beckham Jr. is another show of good faith, too.
Baltimore is reportedly close to securing a trade agreement with the Cardinals that would bring Hopkins to town and pair him with OBJ. A very high-risk, high-reward 2023 is looming for the Ravens.
That said, “money” is considered the hangup and a big one. Baltimore has just $3.9 million in available cap space, and that leaves the door open for other contenders with a need and perhaps more cap space.
The Panthers are in good shape from a cap perspective, and they need to improve a passing offense that traded away D.J. Moore in order to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Whichever QB gets chosen No. 1 overall will need a top target to rely on. Right now, it’s DJ Chark.
Featured Image: IMAGN
