The veteran wide receiver may have an easier time in Baltimore
The Baltimore Ravens added valuable depth and a veteran presence to their wide receiver corps during free agency by signing DeAndre Hopkins to a one-year deal. The Tennessee Titans traded the five-time Pro Bowler to the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2024 season, where he caught 41 passes for 437 yards and four touchdowns in 10 regular-season games. Pairing Hopkins with two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes was not the slam dunk many envisioned. Hopkins will now catch passes from another two-time MVP in Lamar Jackson.
While speaking on Glenn Clark Radio, NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha explained why he believes that the 32-year-old wideout is a better fit with Jackson and the Ravens over Mahomes and the Chiefs.
“DeAndre Hopkins was miscast in Kansas City, and I think people who are really being honest with themselves when he showed up there understand that,” Chadiha said. “You look at Patrick Mahomes and his willingness to throw contested catches throughout his career, he has never been that kind of quarterback. DeAndre Hopkins is exactly that kind of receiver. He’s not a fast guy. He’s going to try to bully people and use those great hands.”
Jackson’s go-to contested catch winners over the years have mainly been tight ends, particularly Mark Andrews and more recently Isaiah Likely. Hopkins will provide Jackson with a skillset at the wide receiver position that he has not had in his career.
“I do think Baltimore is probably a better fit for him because you have to assume that Lamar Jackson’s improvisation is going to be a bigger factor in having opportunities to get open,” Chadiha said. “Derrick Henry’s presence, Zay Flowers’ presence, all those guys are going to make it easier on him to be able to operate and do certain things. … I think for his skill set, and his savvy, his experience, there is a lot more reason to be excited about him in that offense.”
It is hard to imagine Baltimore’s offense getting any better than it was last season, but if Hopkins can provide Jackson with another reliable target in the passing game to go with Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Andrews, and Likely, then the sky is the limit for what the unit can accomplish in the third year under offensive coordinator Todd Monken.