While the superstar portion of his career has passed for Baltimore Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, there’s a large number of NFL teams who still view him as a high-level WR2 or WR3 option.
Which, if you understand the way the NFL operates, is still pretty good work if you can get it — as evidenced by the 1-year, $5 million contract he played on with the Ravens in 2025.
Pro Football Focus put Hopkins on its list of the highest-graded offensive free agent options headed into the 2026 cycle and named his best landing spot as with the Tennessee Titans, where he previously played 2 seasons in 2023 and 2024.
Hopkins coming to Tennessee would also add some extra veritas to a locker room that desperately needs it with a franchise quarterback in 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward and a new head coach in Robert Saleh.
“Although the former All-Pro receiver hasn’t seen a full-time role in some time, Hopkins continues to excel as a technician and veteran presence inside the locker room,” PFF’s Mason Cameron wrote. “Entering his age-34 season, Hopkins can still separate at a high level, as his 63.2% separation rate ranks top five among all pass-catchers this season. With Calvin Ridley underperforming during his limited showing, Cam Ward was left with numerous first-year receivers playing key roles. As a result, the Titans’ receiving corps posted the NFL’s fifth-lowest passer rating when targeted (76.3). Bringing Hopkins in to mentor Ward and this young receiver room would pay off. ”
Hopkins played all 17 games for the Ravens this season and finished with 22 receptions for 330 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Hopkins Made NFL History in 2025
While Hopkins was criminally underused in 2025 — par for the course with the Ravens — in a Week 13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, he became just the 18th player in NFL history with 1,000 career receptions.
“That’s 1,000 career receptions for DeAndre Hopkins,” Austin Pendergrist wrote on X. “Get this man a gold jacket.”
Hopkins, a first round pick by the Houston Texans in the 2013 NFL Draft, is a 5-time NFL All-Pro, 5-time Pro Bowler and has $144.457 million in career earnings through the end of the 2025 season.
Called ‘Best Free Agent Steal’ in Preseason
In Baltimore on a 1-year, $5 million contract — Hopkins already has $139.4 million in career earnings — the thought was he could represent an incredible value as a viable WR2 or WR3 option behind Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.
Hopkins, even with his underuse, has pretty much lived up to his end of the bargain and is third on the team in receiving after disappointing seasons from others like Rashod Bateman and bumbling tight end Isaiah Likely.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon put Hopkins at the top of his list of the NFL’s “Best Free Agent Steals” in the preseason.
“The five-time Pro Bowler was one of the best receivers in the sport during his prime,” Gagnon wrote. “Now he’s essentially a journeyman at age 33. This could be the right place at the right time for Hopkins.”
“This is Football” podcast host Kevin Clark warned Ravens fans about getting too excited about Hopkins at the start of training camp after he made an impressive, one-handed catch.
“Hopkins … I think we’re about done with Hopkins,” Clark said on July 25. “The pendulum has swung too far. Sometimes practice matters, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s all about context.”
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