Skip to main content

Arizona Cardinals fans have had a few days now to digest news of DeAndre Hopkins' release from the club. Tomorrow, the move will become official on the NFL's transaction wire and Hopkins will no longer be employed in the desert. 

It was a decision the Cardinals felt like they needed to make. General manager Monti Ossenfort has set the team up nicely for a strong 2024 offseason leading up to this point, and the move to release Hopkins now means they'll take none of his salary with them heading into next season. 

The deed has been done - so where will Hopkins play next? 

Despite concerns about his age, contract and ability to stay on the field, Hopkins presents himself as a target for most teams around the league thanks to his talent. 

He's in the hunt for two things: A suitable contract and a Lombardi trophy. While the money will sort itself out, it appears the top two teams in the race for Hopkins are also two of the top teams in the league. 

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is reporting the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs are in an "arms race" to acquire the All-Pro receiver:

"My money would still be on the Bills or Chiefs working something out. They just don't have a lot of money in the cap space. The Chiefs, the concern is they just gave Donovan Smith on free agency some real money to play left tackle, so that drained some of the resources - I don't know if they could quite pull it off. They do believe Kadarius Toney can be a No. 1 type receiver. I don't get the sense they're overly desperate to make this happen but there's certainly some interest," said Fowler.

"When you talk to other NFL teams, they believe the Bills are a threat here and they have been for awhile. I still suspect you have two contenders in the AFC that are sort of trying to combat each other, making sure one doesn't get Hopkins over the other. So it's a little bit of an arms race there." 

Fowler also listed the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys are sleeper teams to watch. 

Arizona Cardinals Top Stories

Former Cardinals Star Says Team is Tanking

Report: DeAndre Hopkins 'Open' to Play With Deshaun Watson, Browns

Kyler Murray Bids Farewell to DeAndre Hopkins

Isaiah Simmons Clearly Unhappy With Cardinals

J.J. Watt Vouches for DeAndre Hopkins

Cardinals Set to Have Generational Talent Available in 2024 Draft