Patriots' chances of signing DeAndre Hopkins continue to get better
The New England Patriots might be a little closer to adding a star receiver to their roster. Since officially being released by the Arizona Cardinals on Monday, there has been a lot of chatter over where DeAndre Hopkins' next home will be and the Patriots are one of the teams on the list. The Buffalo […]
The New England Patriots might be a little closer to adding a star receiver to their roster.
Since officially being released by the Arizona Cardinals on Monday, there has been a lot of chatter over where DeAndre Hopkins' next home will be and the Patriots are one of the teams on the list.
The Buffalo Bills have been said to have a high chance to add the receiver, but a recent report shows that this might not be the case.
The Athletic's Tim Graham reported on Thursday that Hopkins is most likely not going to be signing with the Bills because they don't have the salary-cap room to meet Hopkins financial demands.
"Hopkins publicly has expressed a strong desire to play with Bills quarterback Josh Allen, but one of the league executives, who has communicated with Hopkins’ camp, said his preferred passer won’t supersede his preferred payout," Graham wrote.
With the Bills only having under $2 million in cap space remaining, Hopkins is unlikely to go to Buffalo even though the two reportedly spoke a lot prior to him being released. Hopkins was also reportedly in contact with the Kansas City Chiefs about a trade while he was still with the Cardinals.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer gave more insight into the financial demands of signing Hopkins, saying that "there simply wasn't interest in paying Hopkins top dollar."
Breer added that Odell Beckham Jr. signing a $15 million deal worth up to $18 million with the Baltimore Ravens forced the price tag for Hopkins to go up. With Beckham recovering from an ACL injury, he remained a free agent for the entirety of the 2022 season and didn't play a single minute in the NFL last year.
And, while Hopkins was suspended for the first six games of the season due to a violation of the league's performance-enhancing drugs policy, he still played last season finishing with 64 receptions for 717 total yards and three touchdowns. Because of this, Hopkins reportedly believes he is worth the same, if not more.
Similarly, Breer also included that it would be ideal for Hopkins to join a team that wouldn't be reliant on the receiver, which does describe the Patriots.
So, with Hopkins teasing interest in signing with New England and one player seeing a spot for him with the team, the likelihood of the receiver joining the Patriots continues to increase.
Featured Image via Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
