Black Monday might be geared towards coaching changes, but Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins might end up on the trade block. The Cardinals have been cleaning house, with the firing of head coach of Kliff Kingsbury on Monday and Hopkins might be the latest departure from Glendale.
Hopkins demands a premium, being one of the best receivers in the NFL with his stature and football prowess. Whichever team picks him up must be ready to pick up his 2023 contract which is set to make Hopkins $19,450,000 plus a $11,300,000 prorated bonus, a hefty price to pay for a 30 year old receiver. However, for a team focused on winning now, this could be the perfect opportunity to quickly swoop a guaranteed gamechanger.
The 6-foot-1 receiver entered the league in 2013 from Clemson and has taken the game by storm ever since. 11,298 yards over 9 years is an impressive feat, but 5 Pro Bowls and 5 All-Pro selections is even more astounding. Here are three landing spots we could see him going with his impressive resume.
3.) Green Bay Packers
Contingent on if Aaron Rodgers returns for another go around or not, the Packers seem like one of the more likely takers. The team felt the absence of Rodgers’ #1 go-to receiver in Davante Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders early in 2022. A dose of DeAndre Hopkins may be exactly what this team needs, desperately in need of a big player.
The supposed departure of current WR1 in Allen Lazard could pave way for the team to have a 3-headed snake in the receiver room. Green Bay’s 2nd-round pick Christian Watson has rapidly turned into a young phenom in Lambeau, along with 4th-round selection Romeo Doubs, creating a receiver trio that would be a force to reckon with.
However, Green Bay is projected to be over the cap in free agency and would have to let go of a lot of pieces in order to get Hopkins in the green and gold. The Packers in the past have been reluctant to make any big splashes in the offseason, and have stuck to their draft and develop mantra as a team.
2.) Chicago Bears
The Bears are under massive fire for wasting Justin Field’s potential with subpar receivers and a shoddy overall team. The team just hired former Big 10 commissioner Kevin Warren as the next president/CEO of the Bears, meaning the team will go some serious changes. Chicago has a jewel in Justin Field’s dual threat ability, and they do not want to throw caution to the wind.
The team also is projected to have $108,720,491 in cap space for the 2023 season, showing a perfect spot for Hopkins to get paid and an ability to even pick up Hopkin’s original contract in the first place. This change in leadership and a lot of dough to play with could turn the Bears into serious contenders in not a lot of time, but that’s contingent on making rational decisions and not having Equanimeous St. Brown as the primary receiver.
1.) New England Patriots
The Patriots have had a job application on Indeed for a number one wide receiver for a whole season now, one that has yet to be filled. Following New England’s loss to Buffalo eliminating them from playoff contention, it became apparent that Mac Jones needs help if he is to stay in Foxborough. The team has over $48,000,000 of cap space to dispense, and that would be enough to pick up Hopkins’ salary.
New England has a good share of wide receiver talent, just not in the form as a showcase pass catcher. This creates a need, and will seek to create a good space for Hopkins to land if the Pats so choose that route. The defense has impressed at times, especially with the emergence of Jack Jones as a promising corner and veteran Devin McCourty still making plays. That stout D paired with a solid offense led by a good game manager like Mac Jones could very much only need Hopkins in order to be a true playoff contender in 2023.
