After spending the past three seasons in Arizona, DeAndre Hopkins could now return to where his NFL career began. According to the Houston Chronicleis the free agent recipient interested in reuniting with the Houston Texans.
Hopkins spent the first seven seasons of his professional career in Houston and posted some big numbers, but his time with the team ended in 2020 when the Texans decided to trade him. away to the Cardinals in a one-sided deal that was shocking at the time. Hopkins still has family in Houston, which is one of the reasons he would be open to a reunion.
The receiver’s time in Arizona came to an end on Tuesday when the team officially released him.
Adding Hopkins might actually make sense for Houston since the team has traded Brandin Cooks the Cowboys in March. While the team signed former Rams receiver Robert Woods this offseason, they don’t have much experience behind him. According to to USA TodayHopkins visited the Texans at some point this past week.
Hopkins will almost certainly be doing an agency tour in the coming weeks, but right now it’s not clear exactly who might interest him. So far he is had a lukewarm market with several teams – including the Jets, Cowboys, Lions and Titans – making it all sound like they wouldn’t be interested in signing the five-time Pro Bowler. However, a landing place for a dark horse could be New England. ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported Thursday that the Patriots have expressed some interest in the 30-year-old receiver.
“There are several teams, including the New England Patriots, that are interested in DeAndre Hopkins,” Russini said in Get Up.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick gave zero hints of potential interest when asked about Hopkins on Wednesday.
“I’m not going to comment on players who aren’t on this team,” Belichick said.
The Bills and Chiefs expressed interest in trading for Hopkins while he was still with the Cardinals, so those are also two potential landing sites.
Hopkins’ final landing spot may depend on how much money he wants. If his asking price is low, the Chiefs would probably be interested, but they’re unlikely to break the bank for him. According to Russini, Hopkins will be looking for something similar to what Odell Beckham got from the Ravens (OBJ got a one-year $15 million deal that can reach $18 million if he hits certain incentives).
Of the four teams that might be interested right now — Houston, New England, Buffalo and Kansas City — the Texans currently have the most cap room at $16.8 million, according to Over the Cap.