DeAndre Hopkins seemingly said goodbye to Arizona in an Instagram post after the season, signalling that a trade out of town was on the horizon.
It’s been quiet since then, and now there is a feeling among the oddsmakers that he could return to the Cardinals.
The All-Pro wide receiver was originally listed with 50/1 odds to be back with Arizona in 2023, but those odds now sit at +500, per DraftKings on February 1. A return to the Cardinals is now listed as the third most likely scenario, behind a trade to the Patriots and Chiefs.
Here are the six teams with the best odds to have DeAndre Hopkins on their team in 2023:
- Patriots +350
- Chiefs +450
- Cardinals +500
- Packers +750
- Ravens +900
- Bears +1000
Hopkins has two years left on his contract, so the Cardinals don’t need to do anything, but if they choose to rebuild then a trade for draft compensation makes sense. He has a cap hit of $30.8 million in 2023, though Arizona would take on a dead cap hit of $22.6 million if they trade him.
Hopkins reportedly met with new general manager Monti Ossenfort recently so the two sides could have a clearer understanding about the future.
The Cardinals acquired Hollywood Brown last year to pair with Hopkins as a top-tier 1-2 punch at wideout, but between injury and suspension, they were only on the field with quarterback Kyler Murray for one game — a 25-24 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in late November.
Murray finished that contest with the third-best Total QBR in the NFL, which gives credence to the idea that the passing game could return to form next season.
However, Murray could miss some time while recovering from a torn ACL, and with so many holes on the roster and a new coach coming in, Arizona may choose to reset and deal Hopkins.
The Chicago Bears have also seen their odds surge as they are now among the top candidates to get Hopkins. The pursuit of a No. 1 wide receiver would make a lot of sense for Chicago, which has copious amounts of cap space and will likely want to flank quarterback Justin Fields with a lot of talent in 2023 to make a run at the playoffs.
The Bears have the No. 1 overall pick, and if they trade down there could be plenty of draft capital to acquire Hopkins if he becomes available.
The Packers were the favorites to get Hopkins when the betting lines were unveiled, but uncertainty around the future of Aaron Rodgers has lengthened those odds. The Patriots are the new favorites and a trade there would make sense, considering the need and Bill Belichick’s affinity for the star pass-catcher.
Even though the Chiefs are headed to the Super Bowl, the wide receiver corps could still use some reinforcement, and pursuing Hopkins would be a natural discussion.
Here are the rest of Hopkins’ next team odds, per DraftKings on February 1:
- Giants +1200
- Chargers +1500
- Jaguars +1500
- Cowboys +1500
- Browns +1500
- 49ers +1800
- Eagles +2000
- Buccaneers +2500
- Raiders +2500
- Rams +2500
- Bengals +2500
- Titans +3000
- Saints +3000
- Jets +3500
- Vikings +4000
- Bills +4000
- Seahawks +5000
- Dolphins +5000
- Colts +5000
- Broncos +6000
- Lions +6500
- Falcons +7000
- Commanders +7500
- Steelers +7500
- Panthers +7500
- Texans +10000
