At this point of the year it’s strange to see a player of DeAndre Hopkins’ caliber being available. A free agent like that should find a team willing to pay him almost immediately, but nothing happened since he was released by the Arizona Cardinals last week.
The timing of that decision is a big reason why he hasn’t signed with any team yet. Most franchises have the majority of their roster already set except for a few potential depth pieces that they could sign during training camp. That’s especially true for Super Bowl contenders.
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Hopkins entered free agency in a context where the best teams in the NFL don’t have much cap space, which is the situation going on with the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs. Arriving in any of those rosters seems difficult based on his reported salary expectations.
How much could DeAndre Hopkins make?
Arizona couldn’t find a trade partner for the wide receiver before his release because his salary was too high. He was expected to join a contender, although recent reports suggest he isn’t going to take a big pay cut.
Hopkins is expecting to sign a contract similar to the one Odell Beckham Jr. got from the Baltimore Ravens, according to Tim Graham of The Athletic. If that’s the case, the number would be 15 million dollars guaranteed with 3M in incentives. Buffalo appear to some as discarded for their lack of cap space, but teams can find ways to be creative if they are really interested in signing a player.
