The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs have been linked to wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins for months now, but a recent report indicates that both teams are ‘unlikely’ to sign the former three-time All-Pro. According to NFL insider Albert Breer, Hopkins’ price tag is too high for both of the cash-strapped contenders.
As for where this goes next, I’d say the price will dictate that. Under current circumstances, unlikely KC or Buffalo go get him. If his price drops (both teams offered incentive-heavy deals), then … maybe.
(Both KC and Buffalo talked directly to Hopkins, and liked him.)
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 27, 2023
Report: Chiefs, Bills ‘Unlikely’ to Sign DeAndre Hopkins
Money Talks
Now that Hopkins is a free agent, a bidding war can commence for his services, and he should have no shortage of suitors. On paper, both the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs make perfect sense for DeAndre Hopkins. Both teams have some of the best rosters in the NFL, elite quarterbacks, and a stable organization. What they don’t have, however, is salary cap space.
As of this posting, the Bills only have $1.48 million in salary cap space, while the Chiefs have just $652,557 in available spending money. Obviously, the Chiefs and Bills will need more money to sign Deandre Hopkins, so they’d have to restructure a few contracts. If there wasn’t a bidding war going on, then perhaps they could figure out a way to adjust his existing contract to lower his immediate cap hit. However, since every single team can make an offer, it’s hard to imagine a world where either organization can match a top offer.
For what it’s worth, Hopkins probably believes that he deserves a hefty payday after Odell Beckham signed a one-year, $18 million contract with $15 million guaranteed. This deal reportedly blew up a DeAndre Hopkins trade to the Chiefs, and it will continue to affect his market in free agency.
If Not the Chiefs or Bills, Then Who Will Sign DeAndre Hopkins?
The Chiefs and Bills were two of the top suitors for DeAndre Hopkins, but they’re far from the only ones. Recently, the wide receiver appeared on the I Am Athlete podcast and said that he’d like to catch passes from Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts, or Lamar Jackson.
We’ve already talked about Allen and Mahomes’ teams at length, but of the other three teams, the Chargers and Ravens make the most sense. Mike Williams still isn’t practicing months after suffering a back injury, and Keenan Allen isn’t exactly the picture of health at his current age. Quentin Johnston has plenty of promise, but you don’t want to put too much pressure on a rookie wide receiver. DeAndre Hopkins would alleviate some of that burden while giving the Chargers all the pieces they need to go blow-for-blow with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Baltimore Ravens, meanwhile, have Odell Beckham, Zay Flowers, and Rashod Bateman, but still need a big perimeter threat that can go up and make plays on the outside. DeAndre Hopkins is perfect for this role and, once again, should provide the firepower required to match up against the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs.
Of course, there is a chance that Hopkins takes a downgrade at quarterback for an upgrade in pay. While he’ll probably never play for a bad team, he could land with the New Orleans Saints or Detroit Lions. Derek Carr and Jared Goff are not elite quarterbacks by any stretch of the imagination, but they’re both solid starters playing on teams with well-built rosters and an easy path to a division title. The Saints and Lions have $14.3 million and $23.7 million in cap space, respectively, so they should be able to make an offer that most teams cannot match.
Main Photo: Michael Chow – USA Today Sports
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