Patriots receive good and bad news on the DeAndre Hopkins sweepstakes
New England Patriots fans got a couple of updates on three-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on Sunday. In fact, you could say it was a little bit of a good news/bad news situation. Let's start with the positive though since it comes from a pretty reliable source: Hopkins himself. That's right, the wide receiver […]
New England Patriots fans got a couple of updates on three-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on Sunday.
In fact, you could say it was a little bit of a good news/bad news situation. Let's start with the positive though since it comes from a pretty reliable source: Hopkins himself.
That's right, the wide receiver dropped a tweet on Sunday clearing the air about some rumors surrounding his "demands."
In essence, D-Hop clarified that he isn't looking for a raise wherever he ends up playing. That certainly makes him a more attractive player to target in a trade for WR-needy teams like the Patriots.
Hopkins is set to make $19.5 million in base salary for the 2023 season. While some teams are willing to take on part of a player's salary to facilitate trade, that might go against what the Cardinals are looking to get out of trading one of their best players: savings.
If Hopkins wishes to keep his contract the same, the team that ultimately lands him could even open up $9 million in cap space by restructuring his deal, per Over the Cap.
As for the bad news, Hopkins doesn't look too excited about heading to New England with Mac Jones and Bill Belichick.
During a CBS interview for social media, he was asked to react with facial expressions and body language to possible destinations he could end up in.
When the Patriots were brought up, Hopkins didn't offer much excitement and even looked away from the camera.
For the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, he even smiled and looked at the camera as if to say: "I could do that."
Disclaimer: This could be Hopkins having his fun and trolling every NFL fan base out there. It's a fun piece of light-hearted content and we shouldn't make too much out of that.
At the end of the day, where he ends up will likely be determined by trade compensation and nothing else. But if anything, his reaction when hearing about the Patriots was somewhat discouraging.
