It has been quite the offseason in the NFL to date. Aaron Rodgers has finally joined the Jets. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts has received the highest-paid contract in NFL history. Even Baltimore Ravens are making moves after they recently signed Odell Beckham Jr. despite their contract drama with their QB Lamar Jackson. Another important player that fans have been keeping a close eye on has been Arizona Cardinals‘ WR DeAndre Hopkins. While the franchise has allowed Hopkins to seek out a new team, no concrete deal has been signed yet.
With the 2023 draft starting today, a new rumor has linked Hopkins to two potential powerhouse teams as a possible draft day trade. So who are these two teams rumored to be at the forefront?
The two biggest likely landing spots for DeAndre Hopkins
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During a recent episode of the ‘Pat McAfee Show’, ex-NFL cornerback Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones made some interesting rumors surrounding Hopkins. He stated that according to his sources, the future of DeAndre Hopkins will be decided on draft day. Apart from this, he also stated that it could either be the Kansas City Chiefs or the Buffalo Bills.
Read more: DeAndre Hopkins Embeds Body Language as His Loudest Weapon to Signal Patrick Mahomes Message
But Jones’ analysis of the situation once again cannot be considered a foolproof source, as his reports have not always been to the point. In March, he said that the Chiefs were not interested in acquiring Hopkins on the show. He had also claimed five other teams to be in the race for the WR. Those were the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, and the Buffalo Bills. Now, after a month, he claims that it will be a showdown between the Chiefs and the Bills.
𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗦: Deandre Hopkins might be getting traded to the #Bills or #Chiefs, per @REALPACMAN24 on @PatMcAfeeShow
A draft day trade is definitely on the table pic.twitter.com/0N1Ps6Tagh
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) April 26, 2023
If it is actually a showdown between these two giants, the question that still persists is where will Hopkins be traded to.
A one-sided league in the making?
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While it may still be unclear where the future of DeAndre Hopkins lies, one thing is for sure. If either of these two powerhouse franchises acquires the WR, then the shift of power in the league will be dominantly one-sided. The Chiefs have been in search of a new WR after losing Juju Smith- Schuster to the Patriots in the free agency. So having Hopkins come on board means providing their QB Patrick Mahomes with a big downfield player. This could be a huge move in terms of strategizing gameplay for the new season and also drawing some attention away from TE Travis Kelce on the field. Or they could choose to acquire one in the draft, as they have a No 31 overall pick in place.
As for the Bills, they already have a talented receiver in the form of Stefon Diggs. But, having depth at the receiver’s position is a problem they will like to solve. After trading Isaiah McKenzie to the Colts, acquiring Hopkins could solve the problem of depth for the Bills. It will also mean that their QB Josh Allen will have more options on the field.
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In the end, the only thing left for fans to do is wait to see how the future of Hopkins plays out in the next few days.
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