The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl without a star wide receiver, but they could reportedly make an elite offense even scarier by acquiring DeAndre Hopkins.
NFL insider Benjamin Albright told PHNX Cardinals that Kansas City is the "primary suitor" for Hopkins. He doesn't know the draft compensation the Cardinals would receive, but he said it's more likely they get a second-round pick than a first.
After the 2022 season, theScore's Jordan Schultz reported that the Cardinals plan to trade Hopkins this offseason.
Arizona hired a new general manager and head coach after a disappointing four-win season, and Hopkins is set to make $19.45 million (with a $30.75 million cap hit) in 2023. The Cardinals could seek a clean slate by moving the three-time All-Pro wideout, who turns 31 in June.
Hopkins began his Cardinals career by tallying 1,407 yards and six touchdowns in 2020. However, multiple lower body injuries limited him to 10 games in 2021, and he served a six-game suspension to start the 2022 season for violating the NFL's PED policy.
Yet he remains an impact player when on the field. Hopkins totaled 474 receiving yards in six full games with quarterback Kyler Murray last season.
Now imagine what he can accomplish when catching passes from Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs flourished without a star replacement for Tyreek Hill, but they could still benefit by solidifying the position this offseason. JuJu Smith-Schuster is a free agent after garnering 78 catches for 933 yards on a one-year deal. The depth chart features several talented question marks in Mecole Hardman, Kadarius Toney, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Adding Hopkins could be great news for Kansas City, but terrible for all opposing defenses.
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Originally Posted by RunKC:
Just repeating what Nate Taylor said on the pod.
The longer this lingers the more likely I think it is that Hardman comes back for a year.
He needs to rehab his body and his value. Better to stay at a place you know then try to go somewhere else later on
When he went on a pod and said something along the lines of "Andy stunted my production" I'm guessing he's done here. [Reply]
I want a WR1 as much as anyone but there’s no need to panic. Play DHop and obj off of each other and hope one flinches. If neither does, just wait it out.
Meanwhile, I can’t imagine the wr free agent market is fully formed yet. I imagine jeudy and Higgins will move which takes teams out of the market and maybe let’s a few WRs loose. Can’t see players like allen Robinson and maybe several jets WRs sticking around. Several mega contracts coming… biggest one being Herbert which opens up Keenan allen and mike Williams. But also guys like Lamar, hurts, burrow, etc…
And if not, the 2024 market looks good. We just need a one year bandaid which is why getting a 1-2 year fix like obj and DHop is intriguing… at the right price. If not the right price then you can find a 1-year stopgap elsewhere.
And if not, just wait til next year when you have guys like waddle, Devonta smith, etc… probably a much stronger wr market. [Reply]
Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501:
I want a WR1 as much as anyone but there’s no need to panic. Play DHop and obj off of each other and hope one flinches. If neither does, just wait it out.
Meanwhile, I can’t imagine the wr free agent market is fully formed yet. I imagine jeudy and Higgins will move which takes teams out of the market and maybe let’s a few WRs loose. Can’t see players like allen Robinson and maybe several jets WRs sticking around. Several mega contracts coming… biggest one being Herbert which opens up Keenan allen and mike Williams. But also guys like Lamar, hurts, burrow, etc…
And if not, the 2024 market looks good. We just need a one year bandaid which is why getting a 1-2 year fix like obj and DHop is intriguing… at the right price. If not the right price then you can find a 1-year stopgap elsewhere.
And if not, just wait til next year when you have guys like waddle, Devonta smith,
I'm not going to FA for a WR. The guys that hit FA, do for a reason and some of the guys you listed here are just on the back side of their career.
Draft or trade for a guy and pay him. It is what it is. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RunKC:
Woah did he really say that? I miss something?
He basically said that he didn't have more production because he had Hill and Kelce ahead of him and it's hard to get targets with those guys above you in the pecking order.
People are kinda just twisting it a bit to sound more malicious than it was. [Reply]
All Mecole said that was when he was getting 8+ targets a game...he was putting up good numbers. Basically it was hard to get in a rhythm when he wasn't getting targets. He never said that Andy stunted his production. [Reply]
Originally Posted by The Franchise:
All Mecole said that was when he was getting 8+ targets a game...he was putting up good numbers. Basically it was hard to get in a rhythm when he wasn't getting targets. He never said that Andy stunted his production.
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
According to Hopkins representatives, they aren't looking at bank-breaking money. I don't think there's anything to the rumors that he wants well over $25M AAV.
'Bank-Breaking' is pretty relative. Especially for a team sitting on about $9 million in cap space right now.
I just get so exhausted by these guys who want to re-do their contracts every season. It makes proper roster planning damn near impossible. Then to see folks like Mahomes and Kelce, or even Jones - who has played quietly on his deal from day 1 that it was signed, or guys like Fisher and Schwartz before this group...
We've been awfully fortunate to not have 'fuck you, pay me' on this roster really in Reid's entire tenure. Frankly the last guy I can think of who was often saber rattling about his deal was Tony Gonzalez. [Reply]
WR DEANDRE HOPKINS, ARIZONA CARDINALS
Possible Landing Spots: Carolina Panthers, New York Giants, New England Patriots
Hopkins has been the biggest name on the trading block all offseason, and in a year where elite receivers are hard to come by, he is still an option that must be tempting for several teams, even with his contract. That contract, long seen as an outlier by the rest of the NFL, is significantly more palatable now than it was when he first received it, which could tempt some teams into parting with a draft pick to secure a No. 1 option. Hopkins has gained over 2.0 yards per route run for his entire career despite having a rough quarterback situation for much of that time. He caught over 50% of contested catches last season and at 30 years old, he still likely has multiple seasons at the top before decline sets in.