The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills are no strangers to intense competition these days. Two of the best teams in the NFL, used to competing from September-January, are having an epic battle here in the month of May. They’re currently battling for the right to sign free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who was recently released by the Arizona Cardinals.
Hopkins’ release came as somewhat of a surprise considering new Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort had made it clear the team didn’t even plan to trade Hopkins. Releasing him was really the last thing on anyone’s mind, even if people didn’t buy that Ossenfort wouldn’t trade him.
Now, the former All-Pro receiver is on the open market, but there are only a few different teams he wants to (or is willing to) play for. Luckily for him, two of the top contenders in the AFC and NFL in general are competing for his services.
It’s a huge win for Hopkins, who might get a better pay day than expected with a bit of a bidding war.
Who will sign DeAndre Hopkins in free agency?
Update: The #Chiefs and #Bills are in an ‘Arms Race’ for free-agent WR DeAndre Hopkins.https://t.co/LgCkXXt1mu
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 30, 2023
Let’s get something clear: This is not the same DeAndre Hopkins that we once saw dominating as a member of the Houston Texans. This isn’t exactly a shell of that same guy either, but Hopkins is soon to be 31 years old, and the last time he played more than 10 games in a season was in 2020.
The reason why this kind of move would be so exciting for teams like the Chiefs or Bills? Well, Hopkins is a savvy veteran who would be getting added to offenses that have already been established as some of the best in the NFL. In the case of the Chiefs, Hopkins might actually represent a true WR1 type for a team that doesn’t actually have one right now.
Travis Kelce functions in that role for them.
But Hopkins knows that going to one of these two franchises can help him establish a legacy as one of the game’s best receivers of the last decade because he could likely experience a resurgence, of sorts, at either stop.
Which place is more likely to help him cement his legacy? Which place is more likely to give Hopkins the chance at winning a title? We’re fixing to find out in the coming days exactly what he believes and perhaps which team is willing to put the most money where their mouth is.