Can DeAndre Hopkins be AFC kingmaker for Chiefs or Bills?

Henry McKenna

AFC East reporter

The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills are not missing a single part in themselves. You can pick nits and point out the problems at the linebacker for Buffalo and at the defensive end for Kansas City. But overall, the Chiefs and Bills are complete teams that should compete for the Super Bowl.

But therein lies the problem. Their grilles are very similar in quality. At this point, the lead seems to go to Kansas City, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes has become unbeatable in the playoffs. (Mahomes is 2-0 against Josh Allen in the postseason.) But as Allen matures, he will become more menacing in the postseason.

So for any of these teams, DeAndre Hopkins could be the type of acquisition that puts them over the top. Hopkins, whom the Cardinals officially released on Tuesday, is a free agent with no lack of interest. The Chiefs are the leader for Hopkins while the Bills, Patriots and Browns will be in the mix, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

But it doesn’t sound like these teams are in any rush to get a deal done. The Bills in particular will be in trouble in 2024. The Chiefs, on the other hand, have plenty of cap room starting next year that they could potentially use to sign Hopkins on a two-year deal. Buffalo would have to do a much larger series of salary cap gymnastics, which GM Brandon Beane has stressed he hopes to avoid.

Still, the Bills would definitely sign Hopkins for the right price. If they add him, it might not be like when the Patriots acquired Randy Moss. But Hopkins’ presence could bring out even more elite qualities in Stefon Diggs, who hasn’t quite had a reliable No. 2 option since arriving at Buffalo a few years ago. That Hopkins-Diggs combination could well be a special one. And of course, if Dalton Kincaid’s tight end catches on in his rookie year — with WR Gabe Davis stretching the field and RB James Cook contributing in numerous ways — this 2023 Bills offense could take a very different shape after a series of a special-looking attack in 2022.

Bills or Chiefs: Who Needs DeAndre Hopkins More?

The problem for the Bills is that the Chiefs make a lot more sense to Hopkins, who turns 31 on June 6 and is approaching the final years of his career. This could be one of the last major contracts for him, if not the last. So he’s probably going to squeeze pennies out of whatever organization wants him.

The Chiefs will simply have more money to offer, not to mention the opportunity to play with the best quarterback in the NFL. So Kansas City will probably beat the bills. Probably. The Chiefs offense has lost receivers Tyreek Hill, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman in the past two seasons. Hopkins would be the only certainty on offense with high-upside, high-risk wideouts like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney, Justyn Ross and Skyy Moore. Hopkins would throw a brilliant 1-2 punch with Travis Kelce as the other speedster pass catchers stretched the field.

There is an outside chance that a team like the Patriots, who have more than $12 million in cap space this year and $120 million in pocket money next year, could just tempt Hopkins with a dollar bill. Because while he may care about competing for a Super Bowl, money may be more important at this stage of his career and life.

The Patriots haven’t fought since Tom Brady left, but maybe with Hopkins joining new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, they can avoid sinking to the bottom of the AFC East, which already looks like the most competitive division in football. But Bill Belichick is notoriously stingy. Just because he has the money doesn’t mean he will offer it to an aging receiver who is no longer considered one of the top players at his position.

As for the Browns, I don’t see it. Their biggest selling point would be QB Deshaun Watson, who played with Hopkins in Houston and is friends with him. But it’s hard to know if Watson could actually convince Hopkins to come to Cleveland.

So maybe a darkhorse candidate will emerge – maybe the Ravens, who could pair Hopkins with Odell Beckham Jr. But for now, the Chiefs and Bills seem to be the strongest contenders. And maybe the Bills will stretch themselves financially so that Mahomes has no other weapon – and a greater advantage.

It feels like Beane has been patient all season, waiting for a big move. Hopkins presents himself. Perhaps the Bills can pull the trigger to make sure they still have a gun ahead of what feels like an upcoming game against the Chiefs in Kansas City in late January.

Prior to joining FOX Sports as an AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter @McKennAnalysis.

TO FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience