Last Friday, what everyone in the football world was eventually suspecting happened—the release of DeAndre Hopkins. After three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, the 30-year-old receiver is now a free agent for the first time in his career. Hopkins addressed who he’d most likely want to catch passes from.
The list is what you would think it is. Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert. One quarterback who is not on that list is the Patriots’ Mac Jones. Obviously, he’s not the caliber of players those five guys are, but Hopkins may have hinted at the Patriots as a possible landing spot.
DeAndre Hopkins’ IG story today 🤔 pic.twitter.com/EyKN9xkquI
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) May 29, 2023
DeAndre Hopkins Posts Video of Patriots on His Instagram Story
Yesterday, Hopkins posted a video of James White catching a pass from Tom Brady in Super Bowl 51 on his Instagram story. He then took down the post later on in the day. Hopkins may have just posted what he was up to at the gym, but this could be a cryptic message. Could he actually be thinking about joining the New England Patriots?
The real story is that the Patriots seem to be one of the teams in the mix for the All-Pro caliber wider receiver. Although the Patriots seem to be long shots in the AFC and their division, a bond between DeAndre Hopkins and Bill Belichick keeps the Patriots alive in the Hopkins sweepstakes.
Hopkins and Bill Belichick
There’s the infamous video from the Monday Night Football games last year when the Patriots traveled to Arizona, and Bill Belichick and DeAndre Hopkins are having a very flattering conversation. Being very complimentary to each other, but that’s not the only time we see this. Whenever the two do press conferences and are asked about each other, it’s much of the same. It may be my fandom, but the two are destined to be together.
Bill Belichick and DeAndre Hopkins level of mutual appreciation is 💯pic.twitter.com/EXK6BiMsaM
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 15, 2022
The Patriots will indeed have competition for Hopkins. The Bills, Chiefs, Ravens, Chargers, and Jets in the AFC alone will all be giving Hopkins a call. Outside of the Jets, all those teams’ quarterbacks were on the top five he would want to play with, so it’s more likely that he ends up with one of those teams with a legit chance to make a run. The only thing the Patriots have compared with those teams is the defensive side of the ball, where you could argue that they have the best, but they all are among the best in the league.
Patriots Would Need to Make Roster Changes
Contractually all the teams could make room to offer Hopkins whatever he wanted. He won’t be getting the $27.5 million AAV with the Cardinals, but teams could potentially be in the teens regarding a cap hit. The only feasible way the Patriots have a chance is if they overbid him. They would either have to offer a longer term on the contract or give him substantially more a year than other teams are willing to do.
This also means the Patriots would have to clear some cap room to make this possible. They would have to cut Kendrick Bourne, DeVante Parker, or even both. That may seem too much, but that would give you an additional five million to give to Hopkins. All of this will eventually sort itself out. The Patriots might not even have a real shot of getting him; but there is no doubt Hopkins would make the New England Patriots a better football team.
Main Photo: Michael Chow/The Republic/USA TODAY NETWORK
