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DeAndre Hopkins was shockingly released by the Arizona Cardinals during the 2023 NFL offseason. The veteran wide receiver has been consistently productive during his career, so he figured to have a relatively large market of interested teams. After remaining an unrestricted free agent for nearly two months, Hopkins has officially decided to sign a new contract with the Tennessee Titans.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Hopkins' new deal is worth up to $32 million, including various incentives, over the next two years with the Titans. He will reportedly earn a base salary of $12 million during the 2023 NFL season, which increases to $14 million for the second year of his deal.
Hopkins can also earn an additional $3 million in incentives in each of the 2023 and 2024 NFL seasons. This brings his maximum contract earnings to $15 million in 2023 and $17 million in 2024 if he completes all of the incentives and bonuses that he agreed to with the Titans.
His base salary of $12 million for the 2023 NFL season ranks DeAndre Hopkins as the sixth-highest-paid wide receiver for this year alone. Just Amari Cooper at $20 million, DJ Moore at $19.97 million, Courtland Sutton at $14 million, Marquise Brown at $13.41 million, and Mike Evans at $13 million have a higher base salary in 2023 than Hopkins.
Releasing DeAndre Hopkins cleared more than $8 million in salary cap space for the Cardinals. Considering they are in a bit of a rebuilding phase, it makes some sense, though it's still a bit surprising they didn't seek a trade for the veteran instead. Nevertheless, the Titans have now landed an established star wide receiver that they've been desperately missing.
DeAndre Hopkins is exactly what the Titans needed
The Tennessee Titans struggled last year during the 2022 NFL season to establish a reliable passing game on offense. Their lack of wide receivers is one of the main reasons why. They averaged just 171.4 passing yards per game last year, the third-fewest in the entire NFL. Only the Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons averaged less.
Without a solid top wide receiver on offense, it's extremely difficult to develop a passing attack. Robert Woods proved to be incapable of being a number one option, while Treylon Burks' injuries and inexperience held him back. They haven't had a true number-one since trading away AJ Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles last year.
This issue is potentially solved now that the Titans have officially signed DeAndre Hopkins. He's been a top target for his teams during his entire career with both the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans. He's averaged 78 yards per game during his career, including 77 over the past three years with the Cardinals. This works out to an impressive average of 1,326 yards across a full season.
