DeAndre Hopkins Reveals Desired Asking Price for Ravens Return

DeAndre Hopkins has been candid about his interest in returning to the Baltimore Ravens all offseason long.

The veteran wide receiver had been openly excited about partnering up with star quarterback Lamar Jackson as one of the two-time MVP's routine targets, and demonstrated the same consistent hands he has at just about every previous stop while performing on his most recent one-year deal. But now that Hopkins is back in free agency and waiting on his next preferable contract offer, he's issuing the traits he's angling for this spring.

"I think we were at five [million] last year. I ain't mad at that. I'd like the same thing," he told Butta, an online content creator.

Deandre Hopkins on what it takes to resign with the Ravens 👀👀🔥#ravensflock pic.twitter.com/UZAUXYbCQF
— Butta (@ButtaIMB) March 23, 2026

"I feel like I ain't get a chance to show my worth," he continued. "I was worth five, I feel like I let the team down, not being on the field, wasn't enough to really help...I still feel like, certain situations, I could have been out there in that red zone."

Hopkins the Commodity

Consider Hopkins as the latest Raven to lament the decisions that plagued the team's disappointing 8-9 finish to the season, a campaign filled with blown opportunities and missed windows, But even as the franchise dives head-first into dramatic change, opting to replace John Harbaugh with a first-time head coach in Jesse Minter while watching just about every unrestricted free agent walk away from Baltimore, the receiver still understands how much value he has left to capitalize on.

He still clearly thinks he's up to par with some first pass-catching options around the league. As he himself said on X last week, "Don't want the load as a number 1, but when targeted, if not mistaken, I've been very QB-friendly and productive. When I drop a pass, it seems like ww4 to the world, but I like being held to the highest standard by others bc I hold myself to that regard."

Don't want the load as a number 1, but when targeted, if not mistaken, I've been very QB-friendly and productive. When I drop a pass, it seems like ww4 to the world, but I like being held to the highest standard by others bc I hold myself to that regard. https://t.co/kNJ0eZRZe7
— Deandre Hopkins (@DeAndreHopkins) March 20, 2026

And there's real truth to his rate statistics; he pulled down over half of his receptions over a fully-healthy stint as a deep threat, averaging 15 yards per catch to counter Zay Flowers' high-usage slot play. This wasn't ever meant to be a dig at Flowers, either, who Hopkins praised as the true top option among Baltimore wideouts mere days ago, and the soon-to-be 34-year-old knows he can't contend with younger players with the burst and belief from their front offices in matching them in the minutes column.

Even if Hopkins didn't make good points in explaining his unique value as a stabilizing presence in Baltimore, he remains one of the better players at his position left on the market, and his lack of a traditional agent mean that he may as well let the world know what he's interested in hearing upon receiving his next phone call.

After all, this is the same player who negotiated his own two-year, $54.5 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals in 2020, an agreement that made him the highest non-quarterback in league history at the time. He'll maintain how much he's worth longer than anyone, and if he deployed any other takeaways in his recorded appearance, he let the public know that as much as he wants to run it back with the Ravens, he'll go where he feel like he's most wanted.

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