DeAndre Hopkins hype may be at an all-time high around Chiefs Kingdom after the free agent wide receiver was caught trading messages with Chris Jones on social media.
“The show… Enjoyed celebrating with my brothers last night,” Jones posted on Instagram with a red-carpet photo from the ESPYs. The top comment was from Hopkins himself.
Free agent WR DeAndre Hopkins just made this comment under Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro DT Chris Jones Instagram post. Oh boy.
It was just a simple emoji from the three-time All-Pro WR, “🙌,” but it was enough to draw a very suggestive response from Jones. “@deandrehopkins 🤞🏾🤝🏾,” the superstar D-tackle wrote back, and it was off to the races for fans.
“It’s happening,” one commented, and another voiced that “Chiefs Kingdom is waiting for you.”
Arrowhead Pride media member Pete Sweeney even admitted that “I’m not sure we should always read too far into Instagram emojis, but this instance feels pretty obvious.”
NFL Insider Teases Chiefs ‘Interest’ in DeAndre Hopkins as Chris Jones Extension Looms
In case you missed it, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported that the Chiefs have “kept in contact” with Hopkins and that the team “certainly [has] some interest” on July 6 — courtesy of @LanceTHESPOKEN on Twitter.
Stay tuned 📺 👀
The issue, according to Fowler, is money — something Chiefs fans already knew. Jones could help with that, however.
We’ve written about it in the past, but a Jones extension would likely free up enough cap space for a signing like Hopkins. The stud defender’s cap hit is currently an exorbitant $28.292 million according to Over the Cap.
Spread out into future years, KC general manager Brett Veach could easily lower that 2023 number down $10-15 million, if not more. This would give the Chiefs some room to operate, and it appears Hopkins is more than willing to wait for a win-now franchise to go out and get him.
A Jones extension could also be on the way in the coming weeks. The game-wrecker’s camp looked to be waiting on Quinnen Williams to re-up with the New York Jets, and that four-year deal finally came to pass on July 13.
Now that Williams has locked in his price, the table is set for Jones to finalize terms with Kansas City. When all is said and done, he’s expected to earn the second-highest annual salary behind Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald, although Jones should reset the defensive tackle market when it comes to total guaranteed money — as Williams and Jeffery Simmons did earlier this offseason.
NFL Writer Urges Chiefs to Sign WR DeAndre Hopkins in Free Agency
Bleacher Report analyst Jake Rill was all for the Chiefs inking Hopkins during a recent article on July 10.
“Who wouldn’t want to watch Patrick Mahomes throwing passes to DeAndre Hopkins?” Rill began. “The two could become one of the most exciting quarterback-receiver combos in the NFL if they were paired together in Kansas City.”
“It’s not the most farfetched idea [either],” he added, referencing the aforementioned update from Fowler. “Kansas City’s receiving corps is missing a true No. 1 playmaker. The unit has some solid players, such as Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore and rookie Rashee Rice, but it would be much improved with Hopkins in the mix.”
Rill concluded that “the Chiefs would have to clear some cap space for the upcoming season and could likely only sign Hopkins to a short-term deal, but the 31-year-old receiver would give the team a big offensive boost for 2023.”
So long as Veach and head coach Andy Reid want Hopkins, it certainly feels like everything is trending toward the six-time 1,000-yard receiver joining the Chiefs. First things first, get Jones his new contract.
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Chiefs’ Chris Jones Trades Suggestive Messages With DeAndre Hopkins