The DeAndre Hopkins' sweepstakes continue to get hotter and hotter. 

The star receiver was recently released by the Arizona Cardinals after months of trade rumors. Now a free agent, several teams have been rumored to have interest in the five-time All-Pro. 

After the latest report, it could be more likely that Hopkins will end up in the same place he started his career.

Typically the best teams or biggest markets are always affilliated with the top free agents. Thus, it was no surprise to hear that the Buffalo Bills were rumored to be a front-runner for the star receiver. 

However, Tim Graham of The Athletic recently reported that Buffalo is now seen as a "long shot" to secure Hopkins. 

Per Graham, the Bills "simply don’t have enough salary-cap room" to bring in Hopkins. Graham explained this information was confirmed by three NFL executives with direct knowledge of what Hopkins wants.

According to Over the Cap, the Bills have just over $1.4M in cap space, which is the third-lowest amount in the league. 

 Which team has plenty of cap space? A team that Hopkins is very familiar with- the Houston Texans. While it was previously thought that Hopkins wanted a ring, perhaps he is more concerned with the financials. 

Graham said the following: 

Two of the executives said Hopkins wants a deal similar to what the Baltimore Ravens gave Odell Beckham Jr., who signed a one-year deal worth $15 million guaranteed with another $3 million in incentives. 

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.

This implies that Hopkins would be fine signing with any team that meets his asking price, including Houston. Perhaps Hopkins would be willing to return now that Bill O'Brien is not involved with the team. 

Hopkins spent the first seven seasons of his career in Houston. During that time, Hopkins made four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams. 

The Chiefs, Ravens, Patriots, and Eagles are some of the other teams associated with Hopkins, but the Texans have more cap space than any of those teams. The Texans currently have just under $17M in cap space, which would be plenty to get a deal done. 

If Graham's report is correct, the pool of possible teams for Hopkins just got much smaller. 

Featured image via © Michael Chow/The Rep | 2023 May 26