DeAndre Hopkins’ next team opportunities, including Bills, Chiefs, Jets

Three-time All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins was released last week by the Arizona Cardinals, making him a free agent after the team was unable to make a trade during the NFL Draft.

The star pass catcher has made 853 passes in his professional career, making him a hot commodity. Which NFL team is going to harass him?

From Buffalo to Kansas City, several top teams have remarkable hypothetical chances of landing Hopkins.

With FOX Sports NFL Analyst, let’s take a look at the odds of where “Nuk” could end up next Jeff Schwartz analysis too.

CHANCES ON THE NEXT TEAM OF DEANDRE HOPKINS *

Buffalo Bills +300 (bet $10 to win $40 total)
Kansas City Chiefs +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)
Baltimore Ravens +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
New York Jets +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
New England Patriots +900 (bet $10 to win $100)
Los Angeles Chargers +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Jacksonville Jaguars +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Detroit Lions +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
Philadelphia Eagles +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Cleveland Browns +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
Dallas Cowboys +2500 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
San Francisco 49ers +2500 (bet $10 to win $210 total)

* hypothetical probabilities on 5/30/2023

[RELATED: Seven prime landing spots for DeAndre Hopkins]

Once Hopkins was let go, two Dallas Cowboys defensive stars — linebacker Micah Parsons and cornerback Trevon Diggs — tweeted that he should come to “Big D” and help the team’s “O.”

Hopkins posted a short video to Instagram of him wearing an Arizona state coat, then turning around to reveal he’s wearing a cowboy hat.

Perhaps a Texan-sized reunion with quarterback Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns is in Hop’s future. Or maybe Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers wants the receiver on his team so he can recreate the magic he made with Davante Adams.

The Chiefs have the second best hypothetical chance of becoming the new home of the free agent. Can you imagine Hopkins catching one of those no-look passes from Patrick Mahomes with Kansas City heading into another Super Bowl?

Hopkins tormented the Buffalo Bills with his 43-yard “Hail Murray” touchdown catch with two seconds left to give the Cardinals a 32-30 win in 2020. He may return to Buffalo, this time as a prime target for QB Josh Allen instead as the enemy.

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have the fifth best hypothetical chance of getting DeAndre on their squad. Bill O’Brien, who was the head coach for the last six of Hopkins’ seven seasons with the Houston Texans, is the offensive coordinator for the Patriots, so that could be an ideal fit.

Schwartz thinks Hopkins would look good in powder blue. Here’s his breakdown of which team he’d put down a few bucks on.

“DeAndre Hopkins enters his 11th season, and while he missed the first six games of 2022 due to a violation of the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy, he showed he still has plenty in the tank. The top teams will covet Hopkins to add to their receiver room, but I have a favorite team I’d bet on to bring him in.

“The fact that the Bills and Chiefs are the favorites to sign Hopkins makes sense since those two teams reportedly called Arizona about a trade for Hopkins this spring. I wouldn’t bet on the Chiefs for Hopkins unless he’s willing to pay a lot taking less money for a chance to play with Mahomes and win a ring.

“The Chiefs have been measured on the deals they give, paying no more than they are comfortable with. One can look to their singing of former Bucs left tackle Donovan Smith as an example of the structure of a Hopkins deal. Smith has started 124 games tackled left and when healthy can be above average He signed for a base fee of $4 million with up to $5 million in playing time incentives That’s a total of $9 million which would be the lowest of veteran contracts for a left tackle.

“The Chiefs would offer Hopkins the same structure, although I would imagine the base salary would be higher than what Smith signed up for. Hopkins may agree to that deal, but other teams will offer him more, and most players will take the money So, again, I’m not too thrilled with the Chiefs in this place, despite them being one of the “favorites”.

“I’d be OK with a sprinkling of the bills for Hopkins, but currently Buffalo is in the red for effective cap space. Buffalo should create room for him, which requires some cash shuffling. It’s certainly doable, and for Hopkins, they would make it happen.

“However, I have a feeling that Buffalo will not pay too much for Hopkins, and with Odell Beckham signing for $15 million with the Ravens, Hopkins will want similar money. There may be some fear within the organization that the Bills will have to win.so they would pay that price, that’s why it’s worth sprinkling.

“This leads me to the team I would throw some money at. My favorite bet for Hopkins is the Chargers, who are at +1000 for his services. They have the cap space needed for Hopkins and need more broad receiver assist. Hopkins could stay out west and play with rocket-armed quarterback Justin Herbert. We know that the new Chargers offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore, will be spreading across the field, and a route runner like Hopkins would fit their needs.

“Hopkins doesn’t have to be the primary receiving option, could be refreshing for him. He would see fewer duplicate teams and be able to work with more space. That’s why I’m circling the Chargers for Hopkins as a nice destination.”

SELECT: Chargers (+1000 at FOX Bet, bet $10 to win $110 total) to sign DeAndre Hopkins

Where will Hopkins play in 2023? Stay tuned to FOX Sports for the latest on one of the NFL’s biggest offseason stories.

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