Will the Arizona Cardinals set DeAndre Hopkins free without requiring anything in a trade? That’s the latest buzz from the NFL.
Treat this with a grain of salt, as much as we should lean into most rumors around the NFL, but the latest buzz around DeAndre Hopkins and what might happen to him as a member of the Arizona Cardinals is that the team might end up releasing him outright.
Hopkins as a free agent? Yeah, that’s a new one. Instead of a list of various teams attempting to trade for him or rumors about what the Cardinals might demand in return, the latest rumor from Sports Illustrated reporter Albert Breer turns it all on its head with the report that the Cardinals might just release him given the lack of interest and movement on any trade front.
If Breer is right and there’s not any party all that interested in giving up draft asset(s) while also having to cater to the demands of a wide receiver who wants a reworked deal, then that likely points to Hopkins’ own representation as the source of some rumors that named specific teams—such as the Buffalo Bills being new frontrunners as recently as a few days ago.
As for interested parties, the Kansas City Chiefs have always been included in the mix. The Bills are right there and the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens are also likely in the running. That said, most of these teams are also looking at Odell Beckham Jr., so it will be interesting to see who comes out of this game of musical chairs with a player (or not).
The Chiefs need a wide receiver, but no one should be overly concerned about the state of the roster. Skyy Moore should see a significant leap in production in his second year with more room to operate on the field. Marquez Valdes-Scantling will add several hundred yards himself, and Kadarius Toney has the Chiefs very excited about his overall ceiling.
Hopkins had 64 catches for 717 receiving yards and 3 scores last year for the Cardinals in 9 games.