It might make the most sense for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to return to the team that drafted him, the Houston Texans, this fall. That’s what NFL.com’s Grant Gordon argued when he named the best team fit for Hopkins on Friday.
But Hopkins could experience a similar-type homecoming and still fit rather well across the state with the Dallas Cowboys.
In addition to calling the Texans the best team fit for Hopkins, Gordon identified the Cowboys as another option.
Hopkins earned three consecutive first-team All-Pro nominations from 2017-19. He was also second-team All-Pro in 2015 and 2020.
His most recent 1,000-yard campaign was in 2023. Last season, he registered 22 receptions, 330 receiving yards and two touchdowns with the Baltimore Ravens.
Could Cowboys Add DeAndre Hopkins?
Getty13-year veteran wideout DeAndre Hopkins remains a free agent this August.
Hopkins isn’t the same receiver he once was. That’s evident by the fact he posted a career-low in receiving yardage last season.
In 2024, he registered a career-worst 38.1 receiving yards per game average. That dropped even further to just 19.4 last season.
For that reason, it appeared in July that Hopkins’ best option to remain in the NFL was actually as a coach. He spent time with Mike Vrabel’s coaching staff at the New England Patriots training camp in July.
On the final day of the month, Hopkins elected to officially follow that path into coaching. On Friday, Georgia Tech announced it has hired Hopkins as its assistant wide receivers coach.
If the Cowboys, or any team, are going to sign Hopkins, they will have to court him out of that commitment.
There’s a distinct possibility, though, that Hopkins is done playing in the league. Over 195 NFL games, Hopkins has posted 1,006 receptions, 13,295 receiving yards and 85 touchdowns.
Cowboys WR Depth Chart at NFL Training Camp
GettyNFL.com’s Grant Gordon named Brian Schottenheimer and the Dallas Cowboys an option for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
With his move to coaching, Hopkins is unlikely to remain option for the Cowboys this fall. However, the Cowboys do already have receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, who make up potentially the top receiver duo in the NFL.
The Cowboys could use an upgrade at WR3, which is why Hopkins may have been an intriguing target. But Dallas already has some intriguing options at camp, including Ryan Flournoy, KaVontae Turpin and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Flournoy was third among Cowboys receivers last season with 40 catches and 475 receiving yards. He also had four touchdowns.
Turpin registered 26 receptions, 396 receiving yards and two scores as a big-play threat. He averaged 15.2 yards per catch.
Valdes-Scantling brings experienced depth to the group. Valdes-Scantling doesn’t have the same impressive resume as Hopkins, but he’s won the Super Bowl twice.
The Cowboys officially opened training camp on Tuesday, July 28. They will play their first preseason game against the defending champion Seattle Seahawks on August 15. Kickoff will be at 8 pm ET.
Adding another receiver could be on the table for Dallas. But if the Cowboys make a late veteran addition this summer, it might be best it comes on defense. The Cowboys were second in offensive yards but 30th in total defense last season.
Cowboys Floated as Option for Former All-Pro WR