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Top Free Agent Fits For WR DeAndre Hopkins
Jun 25, 2026Logan UlrichNFL Trade Rumors
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Early in WR DeAndre Hopkins ’ career, he was not blessed with outstanding quarterback play. Despite that, he ascended to prominence across the 2014 and 2015 seasons, racking up big numbers and a Pro Bowl bid while catching passes from Ryan Fitzpatrick , Brian Hoyer , Ryan Mallett , T.J. Yates and more. But the 2016 season was a slog, and Hopkins struggled mightily with 14 games of Brock Osweiler and two games of Tom Savage under center. In retrospect, that year left scars that have stayed with Hopkins for his entire career. He has been careful to prioritize landing with a quarterback he feels confident can get him the football. Since 2016, Hopkins’ starting quarterbacks have been: Deshaun Watson Kyler Murray Ryan Tannehill Will Levis Patrick Mahomes (Hopkins was traded to the Chiefs midseason after starting 2024 with Levis and the Titans) Lamar Jackson So it should be no surprise that so far this offseason, Hopkins has expressed interest in reuniting with Murray with the Vikings or joining the Bengals and QB Joe Burrow . If he is back for a 14th season in 2026, expect Hopkins to pair up with an established quarterback. It’ll be interesting to see if there’s mutual interest from other teams. Hopkins’ numbers have fallen off precipitously over the past few years. He topped 1,000 yards in his first year in Tennessee in 2023. The following season, he was down to 173 yards in six games before the Titans traded him to the Chiefs. Hopkins had 437 yards in 10 games with the Chiefs but he was not an efficient target. In 2026, he had 22 catches for 330 yards and two touchdowns for the Ravens. However, there was a sense that Hopkins could have potentially done more had the Ravens needed him to. He was down to a career-low 33 percent of the snaps, but did come up big in a couple of crucial moments. He was never a burner but Hopkins’ fly-paper hands remain an asset. As a No. 3 or a No. 4 receiver, it’s possible he could still make some meaningful contributions as a possession receiver on a playoff squad. However, he does not play special teams and that becomes a big consideration once you start inhabiting that area of the depth chart. Hopkins has done better than some at understanding where he is at this point in his career compared to his prime, but that will be another question teams want to answer before bringing him in. Hopkins, 33, is a former first-round pick of the Texans back in 2013 out of Clemson. Houston later traded Hopkins to the Cardinals ahead of the 2020 season in return for RB David Johnson and draft picks. Hopkins was in the third year of his five-year, $81 million extension that included $49 million guaranteed when he agreed to a two-year, $54.5 million extension with the Cardinals. He was owed base salaries of $19,450,000 and $14,915,000 over the final two years of the agreement when the Cardinals opted to release him. Hopkins eventually signed a two-year, $26 million contract with the Titans. Tennessee ended up trading him to the Chiefs in October of the 2024 season. After playing out the rest of his deal, Hopkins signed a one-year deal with the Ravens. In 2025, Hopkins appeared in all 17 games for the Ravens and caught 22 passes on 39 targets for 330 yards receiving and two touchdowns. We have him included in our Top 100 Available NFL Free Agents list. Washington Commanders Your guess would probably be as good as mine on who the No. 2 receiver for the Commanders will be this upcoming season. There’s no shortage of contenders,…