The Dallas Cowboys appear to be out on the DeAndre Hopkins sweepstakes.
Jerry Jones rarely ever concedes with it comes to big-name free agents but the Cowboys owner said on Monday that Hopkins landing in Dallas is “unlikely.” Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones expanded on that, backing the group of receivers the Cowboys currently have on the roster.
“He’s not on this team right now,” Stephen Jones said of Hopkins. “We went down the road with (Brandin) Cooks. We’re very comfortable with Cooks. We’re really pleased with our receiving group.”
Cowboys head coach and new offensive play-caller Mike McCarthy delivered a similar sentiment when asked about potentially going after Hopkins.
“I really like the look of our group,” McCarthy said on June 1 per the Dallas Morning News. “There’s nothing good that comes out of those answers. Hop is a hell of a talent.”
That group includes the aforementioned Cooks, Pro Bowler CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup. Former third-round pick Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin and Simi Fehoko will also be competing for snaps.
DeAndre Hopkins Wants Odell Beckham-Like Deal: Report
Hopkins is free to sign with any team after being released by the Arizona Cardinals in May. And the three-time All-Pro has suitors, although he’s not in a rush to get a deal done. Rumors had swirled around Hopkins potentially ending up with the Cowboys, with the five-time Pro Bowler spotted working out with former Dallas star Dez Bryant this offseason.
But for the Cowboys, dishing out significant cash to sign Hopkins doesn’t seem like a logical move. It’d be an excessive luxury, considering the players they have available at the position.
Hopkins is seeking a deal similar to what Odell Beckham Jr. got with the Baltimore Ravens, according to The Athletic‘s Tim Graham. Beckham’s contract comes with a $15 million in guaranteed salary and up to $3 million in incentives. The Cowboys had been in hot pursuit of Beckham over the last year or so but there’s a reason they let him walk.
Hopkins played in just nine games last season with the Cardinals due to a PED suspension and injury, collecting 717 yards on 64 grabs with three touchdowns. In his last full season in 2020, Hopkins caught 115 passes for 1,407 yards and six touchdowns, but there are concerns about what he has left in the tank.
Cowboys Have Their Own Players to Worry About
The Cowboys have some negotiations to pull off internally over the next few weeks that will be taking on a large part of their focus. Trevon Diggs, Lamb, offensive tackle Terence Steele and quarterback Dak Prescott are extension candidates and Stephen Jones said the hope is to get a few of those done before camp.
“We’d love to do more than one [before camp] if we could,” he said. “We’ve touched bases with everybody, knowing we’re open-minded to it. … Timing has to be right for those guys and right for us, but our goal would be hopefully to start to chip away at this because we’ve got guys that have to be addressed moving forward.”
With that on the docket, the Cowboys have their hands full as they head into a season chock-full of expectations.
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Cowboys Make Final Call on DeAndre Hopkins Pursuit