The Arizona Cardinals released their high-playing wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, and after his shocking release, he became one of the most popular players in the league. The five-time Pro Bowler infamously revealed the five quarterbacks he would love to play for. His list included Josh Allen from the Bills, Patrick Mahomes from the Chiefs, Jalen Hurts from the Eagles, Lamar Jackson from the Ravens, and Justin Herbert from the Chargers.
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Out of the five teams mentioned by the 30-year-old, two-time Super Bowler Travis Kelce believes that four teams can stand out as potential landing spots for Hopkins.
Which team will be the best landing spot for DeAndre Hopkins?
The star tight end of the Kansas City Chiefs and his older brother, who is a Pro Bowl center for the Philadelphia Eagles, discussed Hopkins’ dream list on their hit podcast. Travis said that there are four teams that look like landing spots for Hopkins. According to him, the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and Jacksonville Jaguars were the most likely options for the former Cardinals wideout.
Jason Kelce agreed with his brother and expressed that the Chiefs were the best place for Hopkins to sign. He said:
“Of all those teams, I think the Chiefs might be the best fit [for him]. He’s a really good receiver. I don’t know how much space you guys got, but I think that would work out really well. The Eagles – I mean, we’ll take him! We’ll gladly take him.. But that’s gonna be a lot of receivers needing yards in the receivers room.”
As per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Chiefs and the Bills were the only teams that showed interest in the WR; however, Hopkins’ contract acted like a roadblock for both teams.
With the departures of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman in free agency, the Chiefs find themselves in need of additional talent at the wide receiver position. Coupled with the presence of star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City presents an enticing destination for DeAndre Hopkins. While Jason, expressing his preference for Hopkins to join the Philadelphia Eagles, acknowledges that the Chiefs offer a strong case as the most suitable landing spot for the talented wide receiver.
An unlikely source snagged Hopkins-Chiefs trade talks
As per Breer, the reason Chiefs did not sign Hopkins when they had intention was Odell Beckham Jr.’s deal with the Baltimore Ravens. OBJ signed a one-year deal worth $15 million with the Ravens. While his lucrative deal worked well for him, Hopkins demanded the same kind of money from Kansas City. As Albert Breer wrote:
“Kansas City made progress toward a deal, but things went a little sideways when Beckham got $15 million in base pay from Baltimore, making Hopkins feel like he should land at least that much, given that Beckham didn’t play last year. The Chiefs wound up giving free-agent left tackle Donovan Smith a deal structured similarly to the offer they made Hopkins, which will make it more difficult for Kansas City to circle back.”
The Chiefs requested that Hopkins restructure his contract, which carried a significant cap hit of $30.75 million, as a prerequisite for a potential trade. Hopkins aimed to secure a revised deal matching the value of Odell Beckham Jr.’s one-year, $15 million contract. However, Kansas City hesitated at the cost, leading to the breakdown of trade discussions. The Chiefs were not the sole team reluctant to trade for Hopkins with his substantial cap figure and draft pick requirements, ultimately resulting in his release by the Cardinals.
