The Arizona Cardinals recently announced that they have released their veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, as they were unable to find a trade partner for him. This move by Arizona made him a free agent who can sign with whichever team he wants to. The All-Pro wide out is one of the finest receivers in the competition. Therefore, the star player wants to take his services to somewhere where he will be able to win championships.
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When Hopkins appeared on ‘I AM ATHLETE’ podcast, he was asked by the hosts which quarterbacks he would like to catch the ball for. Understandably, he mentioned the five quarterbacks who are considered the best in the NFL. But out of all the five, the former Cardinals WR mentioned picked the Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen first and then the Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.
DeAndre Hopkins could not readily think of Patrick Mahomes
It is every player’s dream to play with a talented squad who is a powerhouse. Mahomes and the Chiefs won the Super Bowl last year, but the Bills and Josh Allen, though played well, could not play past the NFC Divisional round. Despite that, many believe that the Bills are ready to play as a Super Bowl contender, and maybe that is why Hopkins named the Wyoming product first while listing his top QBs.
He said, “One of my favorite quarterbacks I’ve been watching since he came in the league is [Buffalo Bills QB] Josh Allen. He reminds me of a new-school Andrew Luck. I love Josh Allen. [Philadelphia Eagles QB] Jalen Hurts, he’s a Houston kid, and he’s a dog. [Kansas City Chiefs QB] Patrick Mahomes is another one I would love to throw me the ball. I [also] got to go with the underdog, not as many people respect him as a throwing quarterback, but [Baltimore Ravens QB] Lamar [Jackson]. … I’m going to [also] have to go with my dude with the Chargers [Justin Herbert].“
Deandre Hopkins on his TOP 5 Quarterbacks he wants the ball thrown to him from 👀⬇️
1) @JoshAllenQB
2) @JalenHurts
3) @PatrickMahomes
4) @Lj_era8
5) #JustinHerbert pic.twitter.com/JZKTf2x0Wy— I AM ATHLETE (@IAMATHLETEpod) May 22, 2023
Even though Hopkins did not list Mahomes as the first QB on his list, fans still know that Mahomes is one of the most important players in the league with whom many want to play.
Chiefs and the Bills were the only teams interested in Hopkins
After Hopkins’ release from the team, it was revealed by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer that the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills were the only teams that were interested in serious trade discussions about the wide receiver. Both teams now have the chance to sign the wideout without giving up any draft compensation.
🏈 More on @DeAndreHopkins 🏈
• The Chiefs and Bills were the only teams to have substantive trade talks with Arizona.
• As was the case with Kansas City, contract was the issue for Buffalo.
• KC made progress, but @OBJ's deal ($15M base) more or less blew that progress up.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 27, 2023
Even in the podcast, the 30-year-old said that he would like to catch passes from either Allen or Mahomes. According to Breer, the reason a trade between Arizona and Buffalo or Kansas City didn’t materialize was due to Hopkins’ contract. He was scheduled to earn $19.4 million in the 2023 season and $14.9 million in 2024 before being released.
However, if Hopkins signs with either the Chiefs, Bills, or another team, his next contract is expected to be more financially feasible. Both, Kansas City and Buffalo are seen as potential destinations that could offer Hopkins the greatest opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl in the upcoming season.
