Seven teams that could sign DeAndre Hopkins after his release

Henry McKenna

AFC East reporter

DeAndre Hopkins is a free agent. End of May.

Who would have thought that?

The Arizona Cardinals released the star receiver Friday in a somewhat surprising move. They seemed interested in trading him – then on draft day, they didn’t seem interested in trading him. It seems they overplayed their hand waiting for the right trading package that never came. And in the end, the Cardinals and Hopkins went their separate ways.

Now Hopkins gets a chance to choose his next landing spot. And he will have no shortage of suitors. He may be 30 years old, but he remains one of the best receivers in the NFL, even if he is no longer the best wideout. So let’s see where he could go for 2023 (and beyond).

New England patriots

New England is expected to get into the mix, according to a source close to the situation. The Patriots were interested in Hopkins, but could not get anything done with Arizona’s trade demands and the trustee’s contract. Now that he’s a free agent, that changes the situation. Maybe he and Bill O’Brien should work out their differences with Houston. But Hopkins would immediately be the No. 1 option for Mac Jones and the Patriots – a real game changer for an offense that has none.

Buffalo Bills

Buffalo looked one-dimensional for most of 2022, with an over-reliance on Josh Allen’s deep game and legs. Hopkins is an absolute jump-ball warrior, but he’s also an excellent possessor at this point in his career. He might not open the fast game (which is why the Bills appear to have drafted tight end Dalton Kincaid in Round 1), but Hopkins would bring a much-needed element to the offense.

New York fighter jets

Do you sense a pattern here? Yes, most of the AFC East will be after Hopkins. Allen Lazard and Garrett Wilson are a solid 1-2 punch, but it’s not the same as Wilson and Hopkins. That’s a whole other level of talent. So while the Jets try to save talent for Aaron Rodgers, Hopkins seems like a legitimate option for them. Of course, it could upset DT Quinnen Williams, who is waiting for a contract extension. But maybe the Jets can pull both things off.

[Quinnen Williams changes Twitter bio amid contract dispute with Jets]

New York giants

Our first NFC team, the Giants, couldn’t make it work with Kenny Golladay, a wide-frame receiver thought to provide the constant threat of a big game. So what about Hopkins? He and tight Darren Waller would make for a convincing combination, especially in the red zone. Hopkins is a lot better than the group in New York: Isaiah Hodgins, Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell. They all have potential, but not much production.

Heads of Kansas City

The Chiefs have a handful of small to medium receivers. And none of them is a proven entity. That’s fine with Patrick Mahomes, who no longer needs a guy like Tyreek Hill to win a championship. (See: Super Bowl LVII.) But if the Chiefs can Get Hopkins, I bet they’re going to get Hopkins. He would make their offense a lot better.

[Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes no longer needs a supporting cast. He creates one]

Baltimore Ravens

Why stop at Odell Beckham Jr. and Zay Flowers? The Ravens urgently rebuilt their receiving corps this offseason. They signed Beckham earlier this off-season and drafted Flowers in the first round last month.

It all felt like a peace offering for Lamar Jackson, who finally signed a contract extension with the team this month. The truth is we don’t know where Beckham will be physically during his injury recovery process. And we don’t know how quickly flowers can make an impact. (This was not seen as the most impressive rookie pick of wideouts.) So Hopkins can help create more certainty in a position group that, while refreshed, has some lingering concerns.

Detroit lions

Speaking of uncertainty, the Lions will have to go without Jameson Williams for their first six games for violating the league’s gambling policy. And we don’t know how good he’ll look when he comes back considering he’s only recorded one catch in the NFL.

Detroit can stick with Marvin Jones and Amon-Ra St. Brown, but the Lions would look a lot better with Hopkins in the mix. He would give Jared Goff a real weapon to stretch the defense, easing up on the all-important running game, led by rookie Jahmyr Gibbs and free-agent addition David Montgomery.

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.

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