Report: Chiefs, Bills 'lurking' for free agent WR DeAndre Hopkins

The Arizona Cardinals released veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins this week and the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills are interested, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Out of the teams interested or projected to be interested, the Chiefs and Bills stood out amongst franchises looking to add Hopkins. Only if it makes sense financially.

Fowler broke down the latest on Hopkins’ potential destination on SportsCenter.

“Well, the feeling among some around the league I’ve talked to is that the Bills and the Chiefs will be involved to some extent, that they’re at least lurking here,” Fowler said. “Now the Chiefs have checked in on this. They’ve at least got the lowdown when he was talking to Arizona for a potential trade of what he might need for a contract, but they’re a little tight on the salary cap, less than $2 million in cap space. They recently gave left tackle Donald Smith some money in free agency.”

Essentially, the defending Super Bowl champions would love to add Hopkins, but it’ll come down to money as usual.

“So it’s uncertain how much they’re willing to spend on a player like Hopkins and Kadarius Toney, their wide receiver, they believe he can be a number one type guy,” Fowler said. “So we’ll see.” 

The Bills, a perennial AFC contender, could definitely use someone like Hopkins. Pairing him with Stefon Diggs would be lethal.

“Now when I talked to teams, they bring up the Bills as a possibility,” Fowler said. “They’re at least being linked to Hopkins, but they’re in a similar boat, only $2-3 million in cap space. How far are they willing to go in the money because you gotta remember Odell Beckham got $15 million guaranteed on a one year deal from Baltimore. Hopkins has been more productive so he can make an argument that maybe he deserves that or more.”

Even before the Cardinals released him, Hopkins was making his list of needs known to other teams.

“What I want is stable management upstairs. I think that’s something I haven’t really had the past couple years of my career coming from Houston and then to Arizona,” Hopkins said on the ‘I AM ATHLETE’ podcast. “I’ve been through three or four GMs in my career, so a stable management.

“[I want] a QB who loves the game, a QB who brings everybody on board with him and pushes not just himself but everybody around him. … and a great defense. A great defense wins championships.”