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The last Kansas City Chiefs fans heard anything about star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, a trade to either the Buffalo Bills or KC was rumored to be close ahead of the NFL Draft. That did not end up happening.
Instead, the Chiefs drafted SMU wideout Rashee Rice in round two and the idea of a trade for Hopkins became more and more unlikely. On May 1, those odds decreased even further after the Arizona Cardinals playmaker finally broke silence on all the trade rumors during an Instagram story message to fans.
The 33rd Team NFL insider Ari Meirov shared the video clip on Twitter. In it, Hopkins stated: “I see everybody telling me to stay. Who said I wanna go? Who said I wanted to leave? I’m out here working baby, what’s up?”
DeAndre Hopkins Tries to Win Back Cardinals Fans
Hopkins may have never voiced that he wanted to leave, but the organization opened the door for trade offers and the veteran pass-catcher certainly played into those rumors on social media.
For example, during an interview with CBS Sports’ All Things Covered podcast, Hopkins was asked to express with body language which teams he would like to be traded to and which ones he didn’t care for. He smirked when asked about the Chiefs and Bills.
Now it appears Hopkins is trying to win back Cardinals fans after a trade didn’t come to fruition ahead of the draft. Arizona could still choose to release the former three-time All-Pro WR for salary cap purposes, but it’s unclear what their plans are at this time.
If the Cardinals were to cut Hopkins after June 1, they would save $19.45 million in cap space in 2023 and another $14.915 million in 2024 according to Over the Cap.
Rashee Rice Can Be Groomed to Takeover JuJu Smith-Schuster’s Role in Chiefs Offense
If the Chiefs acquired Hopkins, he would have likely stepped into the JuJu Smith-Schuster role in the offense — or in other words, a physical wide receiver that can free up space for Travis Kelce, get open on intermediate routes, and run block on the edge. Rice could be that guy if he hones his craft and becomes more consistent.
That was the major knock against the SMU receiver from NFL Network scouting expert Lance Zierlein ahead of the draft.
He wrote: “Talented but enigmatic receiver with game tape that shows a lack of consistency and impressive ball skills. Rice has enough top-end speed to attack vertically but has a tendency for nonchalant running on intermediate routes and zone-beaters underneath. In one game you might see terrific ball-tracking and jump-ball victories followed by frustrating drops and a lack of physicality in fighting back on contested catches. The route inefficiencies can be cleaned up, but Rice must play with better consistency and urgency to find long-term NFL reps.”
At the same time, Zierlein highlighted the rookie’s play strength which is strong enough to “separate late and snatch with extended hands.” The draft analyst also noted that Rice has a “good blend of size, length and speed” at 6-foot-1, 204 pounds.
Make no mistake, general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid chose Rice for a reason. They wanted a youngster that they could groom inside this system.
As the dream of Hopkins slips further and further out of reach, Rice becomes the reality — and who knows what the second-round pick can turn into.
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