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After months of fueling speculation regarding a trade to the Buffalo Bills, Cardinals star DeAndre Hopkins appears to have suddenly changed his mind about leaving Arizona.
On Monday, May 1, the five-time Pro Bowler shared a video on his Instagram Stories and said, “I see everybody telling me to stay. Who said I wanna go? Who said I wanna leave? I’m out here working.” The video clip quickly went viral after it was posted on Twitter, as fans and analysts called him out for gaslighting the situation.
Buffalo Fanatics co-founder Rico Belony tweeted, “🤣🤣🤣 Brotha, you were better off not saying a dang thing lol… And for that, put that cap on sir lol,” while The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz‘s Twitter account merely shared a photo a cap in response. One fan tweeted, “My boy YOU said it 😂😂.”
Prior to the 2023 NFL Draft, the Bills were firmly in the market to land a solid WR2 to back up Stefon Diggs, and Hopkins, who would’ve been a near-perfect fit, dropped several hints that he’d love to be traded to Buffalo.
On March 22, Hopkins shared a photo of himself on his Instagram Stories with Bob Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier” playing in the background and during an April 16 appearance on CBS Sports “All Things Covered Podcast,” his body language did the talking when asked about possibly joining the Bills.
After seeing Hopkins’ video message on Monday, Pro Football Talk‘s Charean Williams surmised, “So, maybe some team offers enough to pry Hopkins from the Cardinals… at some point. But maybe not. It sounds as if he’s ready for whatever happens.” But as it stands, “He is on the wrong side of 30, has played 19 games and missed 15 with injuries and a suspension over the past two seasons and has not had a 1,000-yard season or made the Pro Bowl since 2020.”
Von Miller Claimed That ‘Hopkins Said He Wanted to Be a Buffalo Bill’
Hopkins skipped voluntary workouts in Phoenix and instead hit the gym with Bills superstar Von Miller in Dallas, Texas. “Hop said he wants to be a Buffalo Bill,” Miller said during a press conference on April 18. “I would love to see DeAndre Hopkins be here and I would love to have his skill set on our offense with Josh Allen Stefon Diggs and Dawson Knox and Gabe Davis. How could we lose with those guys?”
The eight-time Pro Bowler doubled down his statement during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” the following day. “Word on the street is that we might be getting another big-time weapon,” Miller said. “We missed out on OBJ, it’s another big weapon out there if you get him.”
During an interview with “Fantasy Football Today” posted on April 26, Hopkins gushed over the franchise as a whole. “Love the Buffalo Bills. Love everything about the organization. Love Josh Allen. Love Stefon Diggs. Love all those guys,” Hopkins said. While he claimed that he was undefeated against the Bills (he’s actually 3-1), Hopkins added, “I like the organization, what they’re doing.”
Just hours before the NFL Draft kicked off on April 27, Bills’ defensive end Shaq Lawson caused a stir on Twitter by sharing photos of him and Hopkins and tweeting, “Just like old times 👀 let’s make that happen.”
The Market for Hopkins Went ‘Ice Cold’
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GettyCardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins warms up prior to the game at State Farm Stadium on October 20, 2022.
Despite the Cardinals giving teams permission to speak with Hopkins and his agent about a potential trade, per CBS Sports, his massive contract made things complicated. Managing the $19.45 million he’s owed for the 2023 NFL season, and the $14.92 million he’s due in 2024 would be an issue not just for Buffalo, but any interested team.
As the market for Hopkins turned “ice cold,” Bleacher Report‘s Alex Kay suggested the Bills could land the former first-round pick from the 2013 NFL draft for “pennies on the dollar” in a superstar trade. Kay suggested the Bills could acquire Hopkins from the Cardinals in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick (No 91. overall), a far cry from the “Christian McCaffery package” Arizona was asking for last month, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, an asking price which analysts universally panned.
However, the Bills traded up two spots to select Utah’s pass-catching tight end Dalton Kincaid in the first round, which indicated Buffalo was not making a move for Hopkins.
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