Getty Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
The Chicago Bears continue to lead the NFL in salary cap space and the market for an elite-level playmaker is narrowing to the point of becoming a bargain.
Free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has made it clear that he isn’t in a rush to sign anywhere this summer, while the league at large has shown it isn’t in a rush to ink him.
Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report on Wednesday, June 28, wrote that Chicago “must consider” adding Hopkins ahead of training camp because his addition to the roster will render the Bears legitimate contenders to win the NFC North Division in the just the second year of their rebuild.
“Hopkins is the best player on the free agent market, and he would instantly make the Bears a more serious contender for a playoff spot,” Tansey said. “The Green Bay Packers could take a step back with Jordan Love at the helm, the Detroit Lions have to deal with expectations for the first time in a while and the Minnesota Vikings lost [Dalvin] Cook and Adam Thielen in the offseason.”
Signing DeAndre Hopkins Remains Complicated Proposition for Bears
GettyFree agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins could be a fit with the Chicago Bears this season.
A couple of obvious obstacles to signing Hopkins exist in Chicago, including a previous offseason trade for wide receiver D.J. Moore. Two potential AFC playoff contenders are also more solidly in the mix for Hopkins after hosting him to official visits over the last couple of weeks.
“Hopkins and Moore would have to be okay with sharing the targets from [quarterback] Justin Fields,” Tansey continued. “Chicago has to compete with teams like [the] New England [Patriots] and Tennessee [Titans], who could offer Hopkins the clear-cut No. 1 spot on their depth charts right away, and that may be more intriguing to the player.”
It’s unclear if winning at the highest level is among Hopkins’ top qualifications for his next team. One goal of his that is unmistakable, however, is a payday commensurate with the $15 million base salary the Baltimore Ravens offered Odell Beckham Jr. this offseason.
That kind of money doesn’t appear available for Hopkins anywhere at any number of contract years, including one, which might explain the wideout’s willingness to wait out the summer for more favorable circumstances to develop.
Chicago has north of $32 million left to spend in 2023 and could swoop into the mix for Hopkins if general manager Ryan Poles figures that is the best use of the franchise’s financial flexibility. The Bears still need to add at least one edge rusher and could use another cornerback, both of which are likely to be higher priorities ahead of training camp.
That said, there is a feasible scenario in which Chicago decides to push for the playoffs next season and offers Hopkins a lucrative one-year prove-it deal, which he accepts in order to re-establish his value as a No. 1 option.
DeAndre Hopkins Could Render Bears Offense Among Most Dangerous in NFL
GettyFree agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has suffered a couple of down seasons in a row ahead of the 2023 NFL campaign.
Hopkins is a five-time Pro Bowler and a five-time All-Pro selection, including earning first-team All-Pro honors on three occasions. However, he hasn’t accomplished either feat since 2020 and has struggled through a couple consecutive campaigns interrupted by injury and defined by dips in production.
The wideout put up 572 yards on 42 catches and 717 yards on 64 catches over the last two seasons, respectively, as a member of the Arizona Cardinals. He played in just 10 games in 2021 and nine games last season, per Pro Football Reference.
However, Hopkins still caught 11 touchdown passes over those 19 games for a team that struggled mightily on offense over the last season and a half. He is only 31 years old and the future Hall-of-Fame pass-catcher clearly has gas left in the tank.
Adding Hopkins to the mix in Chicago would provide Fields with arguably one of the best receiver rooms in the entire league, as Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool would slot in at the Nos. 3 and 4 spots in that scenario. The Bears’ tight end group is also formidable, led by Cole Kmet and Robert Tonyan, formerly of the Packers.
Chicago has invested in a handful of running backs to attack that position by committee and added two new members to the right side of its offensive line over the spring. Signing Hopkins will set the Bears up for a significant leap on offense, which will coincide with the jump in performance Fields is expected to offer in 2023.