Rumors have been swirling around wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins since his release from the Cardinals last month, with the five-time Pro Bowl receiver being linked to several teams across the league.
As Hopkins’s free agent market continues to develop, the only thing definitive at this point is that he wants to pick a new team by the start of training camp later this summer, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
“DeAndre Hopkins, I’m told, is sorting out potential free agency visits that he could take in the coming days,” Fowler said on SportsCenter on Saturday morning, per Bleacher Report. “He’s not overly rushed here, though. I was told that basically minicamp is a soft deadline, training camp in late July is more of a hard deadline. And so, he’s looking at the entire league. This is not a situation where he is only looking to play with certain quarterbacks, or a short list.
“He’s pretty open-minded here is what shakes down. Now, I’m told he’s open to playing with Deshaun Watson, as Watson is playing with him. Browns are probably called fringe contenders. I think they’ve made a phone call. I don’t know that they’re overly invested at big money right now. That’s sort of the problem. A lot of these contending teams would love to have him. I would put the Bills in this hat too, the Chiefs, some others. But with cap issues, and now that we’re in early June, there’s not a lot of money to spend. So we’ll see which team is going to give him a fair deal commiserate with a former All-Pro.”
Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer reported in late May that the Cardinals held trade talks with the Bills and the Chiefs for Hopkins, but ultimately couldn’t reach an agreement due to his contract. Per Breer, Hopkins is reportedly looking for a contract in the neighborhood of what Odell Beckham Jr. received from the Ravens (one year, $15 million guaranteed).
Hopkins turns 31 on June 6, but still has plenty left to offer, even if he is not the All-Pro receiver that he once was at his peak. Hopkins played nine games last season after serving a suspension for performance-enhancing substances, but still caught 64 passes for 717 yards and three touchdowns, averaging over 11 yards per reception.
