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DeAndre Hopkins is reportedly on the trade block entering the 2023 NFL offseason. The Arizona Cardinals suffered an extremely disappointing 2022 season, finishing with an alarming 4-13 record. This came after making the playoffs just a year ago.
This has caused them to make major changes this year, including firing head coach Kliff Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim.
Another big move the Cardinals are reportedly looking to make is trading DeAndre Hopkins and his massive contract. He is set to make $34.36 million dollars over the next two seasons.
Trading him, presumably for draft picks, could provide the Cardinals with additional flexibility to address several apparent holes in their roster as they look to retool for the upcoming 2023 NFL season.
If the Cardinals do in fact make Hopkins available, many around the NFL believe that the New England Patriots make sense as a potential destination. They feature one of the weakest groups of wide receivers in the entire NFL, so upgrading their position should be one of their top priorities this year. Hopkins can help them do exactly that as he's one of the best in the game.
While the rumors of DeAndre Hopkins being a target for the Patriots seem to make a ton of sense, not everyone agrees with the possibility of it happening. According to The Athletic, it's highly unlikely that the Patriots will go after Hopkins this year.
"Never say never, but it would be viewed as a pretty major surprise if the Patriots traded for Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
"Hopkins fell out of favor with new Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien before O’Brien traded him out of Houston in 2020. A possible reunion? Maybe, but consider it a long shot."
It has been documented that head coach Bill Belichick has a fascination with DeAndre Hopkins. But the recent hiring of Bill O'Brien to take over as their offensive coordinator could present a roadblock in a potential trade. O'Brien notoriously traded Hopkins to the Cardinals during their time with the Houston Texans, so there could be a conflict of interest.
O'Brien may not share the same affinity for Hopkins that Belichick does. He also may not be interested in bringing him to the Patriots after what happened in Houston. Further complicating things is a no-trade clause in DeAndre Hopkins' contract. He has the power to reject any proposed trade. He may choose to do so if he doesn't want to to play for O'Brien again after the controversial trade.
What did the Texans receive in the DeAndre Hopkins trade?
The infamous DeAndre Hopkins trade is considered one of the most lopsided in NFL history. It never made sense for the Houston Texans when it happened and almost everyone would agree that the Arizona Cardinals easily won the trade. The deal was orchestrated by Bill O'Brien, who served as the head coach but also took on general management duties.
The Texans sent DeAndre Hopkins and a fourth-round pick to the Cardinals in exchange for David Johnson, a second-rounder, and a fourth-rounder. While Hopkins was clearly one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, Johnson appeared to be on the back end of his career.
Johnson missed 22 games over the previous three years due to various injuries and was only able to record 1,000 rushing yards once during his entire career. It occurred three years before he was traded for Hopkins.
The Cardinals may have won the Hopkins trade with the Texans, but will they be so fortunate again?
