Getty DeAndre Hopkins remains a free agent after his visit to New England.
The Buffalo Bills were once considered the odds-on favorite to land star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, then appeared to fall out of the race after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals and hit free agency.
But now that Hopkins has gone weeks without landing a new contract — despite some high-profile visits to two teams considered his top suitors — the Bills could be back in the mix. Reporter Joe DiBiase of WGR 550 noted that the Bills remain one of the top betting favorites, and the long wait in securing a new deal could create an opening for Buffalo.
Bills Still in the Mix on DeAndre Hopkins?
As DiBiase noted, bookmakers are still bullish on Buffalo’s chances of landing Hopkins. DraftKings Sportsbook has them second only to the New England Patriots, though Buffalo’s divisional rival still does have significantly better odds. While Hopkins has made visits to both the Patriots and Tennessee Titans, he left both without a contract and remains unsigned now weeks later.
DiBiase saw that as a sign that Hopkins may still want another option.
“If Hopkins was all about the money, though, why isn’t he signed by the Patriots yet? Why isn’t he signed by the Titans?” DiBiase wrote. “It seems, to me, if Hopkins was thrilled about the idea of catching passes from Ryan Tannehill or Mac Jones, he would’ve signed by now.”
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler suggested that there could still be room for another team to jump into the mix on Hopkins, but it is not the Bills.
“I was told there was mutual interest expressed during Hopkins’ visit to New England a few weeks ago, and Kansas City is not to be ignored here — if they can get the Chris Jones extension done, that would free up significant cap space — at which time, pursuing Hopkins would be possible,” Fowler said in a June 30 appearance. “Maybe there’s a chance if he waits for a contender, that opportunity could open.”
The Bills have been in the race for Hopkins in the past, with NFL Network’s Albert Breer reporting in May that the Bills and Kansas City Chiefs were the only teams to hold substantive trade talks with the Cardinals. None of the teams were able to make progress on a deal before the Cardinals opted to release Hopkins and take the full cap hit this season while they launch into a rebuild.
Bills Rival Still in the Lead
While Hopkins has yet to pick his next destination, some insiders believe the Patriots are still in the driver’s seat for the All-Pro wide receiver. As Mike D’Abate of SI.com’s Patriots Country noted, the Patriots just re-signed veteran receiver DaVante Parker to an incentive-heavy deal that could actually give the team more room to sign Hopkins.
Doing so would help the Patriots gain an important competitive edge in the AFC East, he hinted.
“Should the Pats add Hopkins’ services as well, the Pats would possess two sizable receivers capable of aligning on the line of scrimmage to bolster their passing attack,” D’Abate wrote.