Getty Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
Arizona Cardinals All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been linked to the Kansas City Chiefs as a potential trade destination at an exhaustive rate this offseason. But it took until April 16 for Hopkins to finally share his thoughts on potentially being traded to the defending Super Bowl champions, among other teams.
And Nuk didn’t express his opinion with his words.
During an interview with CBS Sports’ All Things Covered podcast, Hopkins was asked to express with body language which teams he would like to be traded to and which ones he doesn’t care for.
The teams named that Hopkins didn’t want to be traded to: the New England Patriots and New York Jets. The teams he would like to be traded to: the Buffalo Bills and Chiefs.
DeAndre Hopkins knows how to use his body language to make a statement about where he may wanna head next 👀👀 @ATCoveredPod
DeAndre Hopkins Sounds Off on Contract Demands
Using Twitter as the vessel to get his message out, DeAndre Hopkins wrote, “Hopkins doesn’t want a raise,” and signed it with his nickname in a since-deleted tweet on April 16.
The Cardinals plan to trade Hopkins this offseason, according to a January report by The Score’s Jordan Schultz. Hopkins has two years and $54 million remaining on his contract and will have a $30.7 million cap hit in 2023 along with a $25.4 million cap hit in 2024.
Rumors have swirled this offseason that Hopkins, 31, could be looking for a new contract. However, Hopkins is seemingly dispelling those rumors with his viral tweet.
Hopkins’ tweet falls in line with NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport’s March 8 report in which he said Hopkins is willing to be flexible on the final two years of his contract if he were to be traded instead of aiming for a top-of-the-market deal.
Twitter users reacted to Hopkins’ tweet.
“From the start, my sense is this has been more about who’d be willing to take on his existing deal than DeAndre Hopkins wanting a new one,” Sports Illustrated’s NFL insider Albert Breer wrote. “He’s due $19.45 million in cash this year, which is a tough sell in a trade. That, in turn, gives him some control over the situation.”
From the start, my sense is this has been more about who’d be willing to take on his existing deal than DeAndre Hopkins wanting a new one. He’s due $19.45 million in cash this year, which is a tough sell in a trade.
That, in turn, gives him some control over the situation.
“Looks like you will be a Chief and win a Super Bowl, congrats,” another user wrote.
@DeAndreHopkins Looks like you will be a Chief and win a Super Bowl, congrats.
“You’d put up all Time records with the chiefs AND win a chip (championship),” another user wrote.
@DeAndreHopkins @adamrank You’d put up all Time records with the chiefs AND win a chip
DeAndre Hopkins a 3-Time All-Pro
DeAndre Hopkins was the 27th overall pick by the Houston Texans in 2013. Since then he has six 1,000-yard seasons, 853 receptions, 71 receiving touchdowns, and has been named an All-Pro three times and a Pro Bowler five times, per Pro Football Reference.
In March 2020, the Cardinals traded running back David Johnson, a second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick to the Texans in exchange for Hopkins and a fourth-round pick. Then in September of that year, Arizona gave Hopkins a two-year extension that included a $27 million signing bonus and $60 million in guarantees, per Spotrac.
As it stands, Hopkins ranks 36th all-time in career receiving yards (11,298) and is 3,047 yards away from cracking the top 10 all-time on that list (Reggie Wayne is 10th all-time with 14,345), according to Pro Football Reference.
During the 2022 season, Hopkins registered 64 receptions on 96 targets for 717 yards and 3 touchdowns in 10 regular season games played.