NEWSLETTER
The first free-agent visit for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will be with the Tennessee Titans. This is according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero on Wednesday afternoon.
Well, I didn’t have the Titans on my DeAndre Hopkins bingo card. But, here we are. According to Pelissero, Hopkins will fly to Tennessee on Sunday for a visit with the Titans. The Cardinals released Hopkins on May 26 after they searched for a trade partner “for weeks” but couldn’t find a one. Hopkins now becomes a free agent and can sign with any team.
Hopkins named the top five quarterbacks that he would like to play with on a recent episode of the “I Am Athlete” podcast with Brandon Marshall. Ryan Tannehill wasn’t on that last.
DeAndre Hopkins has worked with Titans head coach Mike Vrabel in the past (with the Texans), and the Titans could certainly use a wide receiver like Hopkins. Treylon Burks and Kyle Phillips are the Titans top two wide receivers on the depth chart right now. Wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine will line up opposite Burks on the outside with Phillips as the slot receiver. Hopkins would immediately become the top wide receiver in Tennessee.
Still, as Pelissero points out (and we’ve discussed), the Titans are not the only team interested in Hopkins’ services. However, the list of potential suitors is far more slim than Hopkins (or we) anticipated.
SI’s Albert Breer said on Monday that he would be “pretty stunned” if there was an Odell Beckham Jr.-like deal out there for DeAndre Hopkins at this point. Beckham got $15 million in base pay and an additional $3 million in incentives from the Baltimore Ravens.
The Chiefs, Bills, and Cowboys all out of the running for Hopkins. The Patriots were interested in Hopkins earlier in the offseason. They may re-visit the idea now that Bill O’Brien (Hopkins’ former head coach in Houston) is in New England as the offensive coordinator. The Browns are another option. A reunion with Deshaun Watson could be in order. Although, Kevin Stefanski has said he likes what he has in his current group of wide receivers.
Hopkins over-estimated his market. So, Hopkins has two options … 1) Take a deal with a team like the Titans. They aren’t contending but could offer him a prominent role and a reasonable one-year deal. 2) Take a discount and chase a ring with a contender like the Bills or Chiefs.
The veteran wide receiver might not like it, but his market seems fairly thin at this point. Most teams have already committed the majority of their 2023 payroll. Or they’ve filled their need at the position elsewhere. So, it’s slim-pickings for Hopkins right now.
Should Hopkins like what the Titans have to say, he could become the top option for Ryan Tannehill. However, Hopkins could be catching passes from rookie Will Levis before the season is over.
