DeAndre Hopkins’ next team seems to have become much clearer just days after being released by the Arizona Cardinals.
The star wide receiver was released by the Cardinals last week after the team failed to agree to a trade. As a result, Hopkins is now left looking for a new team before the start of next season.
Hopkins is likely to be one of the most sought after free agents in the NFL, with a host of teams likely to be interested. The New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens are just some of the teams all likely to show an interest in signing the receiver.
A recent report from The Athletic claimed that the Buffalo Bills were unlikely to make a move to sign Hopkins. This, the article claims, is due to not having enough salary cap room to be able to sign the free agent.
Now a fresh report from USA Today has claimed to provide some insight into the plans going on behind the scenes for Hopkins. It’s been claimed that the 30-year-old has already met with the Houston Texans over the past week.
While the report does not go into any further detail about what happened in the alleged meeting between the Texans and Hopkins, it can be assumed to be about the prospect of making the move to Houston. It was the Texans that first drafted Hopkins back in 2013 with the 27th overall pick.
After seven years in Houston, Hopkins was traded to the Cardinals in 2020. While he would not reach the same heights as he achieved in Texas, where he was a five-time Pro Bowler, he was still regarded as among the best in his position across the NFL.
Before Hopkins was officially released by the Cardinals, the receiver appeared on the IAmAthlete podcast, where he appeared to aim a subtle dig at his now-former team. "What I want is stable management upstairs," Hopkins said.
"I think that’s something I haven’t really had the past couple years of my career coming from Houston (Texans) to being in Arizona. I’ve been through three to four GMs through my career. So stable management — a QB who loves the game. A QB who brings everybody on board with him and pushes not just himself, but people around him. I don’t need a great QB. I’ve done it with subpar QBs — just a QB who loves the game like I do."
Hopkins’ remarks about quarterbacks may have been interpreted as him referring to his now-former teammate and Cardinals QB Kyler Murray. Hopkins then clarified his position on Murray, who is set to be sidelined for a lengthy period of time with injury.
"I think Kyler is a quarterback who loves the game as well," said Hopkins. "But he’s injured. So right now, for me, I’m playing with Colt McCoy, who I love. So who knows? Right now, I don’t have a Pro Bowl quarterback."
