While the odds of WR DeAndre Hopkins ending up in Pittsburgh are slim to none, there’s a chance he’s spending 2023 inside the AFC North. While not considered a favorite, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler named the Cleveland Browns a sleeper team to pursue Hopkins, who was released by the Arizona Cardinals late last week.
As shared by the Twitter account @TheBillsGuys, Fowler appeared on the Keyshawn, J Will & Max show Monday morning to outline Hopkins’ potential suitors. While the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills are viewed as favorites, the Browns are apparently in play, too.
“You look at a team like Cleveland, I wouldn’t consider them to be a major player,’ Fowler told the show. “But I expect them to at least make a phone call. Because of the Hopkins-Deshaun Watson connection from Houston, my sense is Hopkins would be open to playing with Watson again. Reuniting with him.”
After months of trade speculation, the Cardinals released Hopkins last Friday, immediately making him a free agent. While still a talented player coming off a successful season, his contract was deemed too difficult to move, though it’s curious why Arizona simply didn’t eat some of that salary.
The Browns have added to their wide receiver room this offseason. They signed Elijah Moore in free agency and used their first pick of the draft, a third-round selection, on Tennessee’s Cedric Tillman. But Hopkins would be a splashy signing and give the team a great top-two duo with Amari Cooper, who is coming off an 1,100-yard season.
As Fowler points out, Hopkins has a connection with Watson. The two put up big numbers in Houston, playing together from 2017 to 2019. Over those three years, Hopkins averaged 107 receptions for 1,371 yards and 10 touchdowns, making the All-Pro Team every season. While he isn’t likely to replicate that production years later, he could still be an impact player.
Still, the Buffalo Bills seem like the team most likely to sign Hopkins. They have the need and the resources while players like QB Josh Allen and EDGE Von Miller have pushed hard for Hopkins to sign. Hopkins recently rattled off a list of five quarterbacks he’d love to play with, Allen being one of them. There’s the Chiefs too with head coach Andy Reid able to convince many free agents to sign with him. They can’t be ruled out.
But the Browns were once a sleeper to acquire Watson and at one point, seemed out of the race entirely. We’ll see how soon Hopkins makes a decision, but it seems very likely he’ll be back in the AFC in 2023.
