KC Chiefs are absolutely serious about DeAndre Hopkins pursuit

It's unclear at this point just how things will turn out with DeAndre Hopkins and his future. There are too many variables, multiple teams involved, financial questions to consider, and conversations to be had. But one thing is certain: the Kansas City Chiefs are absolutely serious about their pursuit of the wide receiver.

The Arizona Cardinals ultimately decided to release Hopkins after months of trade rumors on Friday, which completely reset the market for the veteran wideout. Instead of teams wrestling with the surrender of draft assets and the ways in which they could potentially swallow Hopkins' financials, NFL franchises are now offered the chance to rewrite his contract—if they can convince him to sign with them in the first place. Before it was about pleasing Cards GM Monti Ossenfort; now it's all about Hopkins.

The Chiefs were always involved in trade rumors for Hopkins even when it was going to cost them draft compensation, so it makes sense that they'd try to reach for him on the other side of his release.

NFL reporter Albert Breer unleashed a string of new updates on Hopkins on Saturday with plenty of notes about the Chiefs. Ultimately what we've learned from Breer is that the price on Hopkins, at present, is too expensive, which would make the Chiefs (and the Buffalo Bills) "unlikely" suitors unless the circumstances change. That said, both teams have already been in touch personally and the courtship is public knowledge at this point.

According to Breer, both the Bills and Chiefs are basically step-in-step here in both their interest and their limitations. Cap issues have kept either team from getting ahead of one another but both might end up frozen out on account of money. The Chiefs and Bills, per Breer, were the two teams most heavily engaged in trade talks before his release, and both have presented Hopkins with incentive-laden contracts after.

So where to go from there? The Chiefs have other financial matters to solve on the defensive side, from Chris Jones' rumored extension to a potential long-term deal for L'Jarius Sneed to a possible reunion with Frank Clark. All of this requires some reworking, however, of the team's finances.

Can the Chiefs create the necessary cap space? Will Hopkins want to play for K.C. more than other destinations? Will a team with more assets steal Hopkins away from both contenders? Again, so much more is unclear than clear at this stage, but at least we know the Chiefs are absolutely in on making it happen if they can.