NFL Rumors: Former Arizona Cardinals Wide Receiver Linked to Kansas City Chiefs

The Arizona Cardinals shocked the NFL by releasing five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on Friday, and a market for his services is already taking shape. According to SI's Albert Breer, the Kansas City Chiefs received permission to speak with Hopkins before the draft about a potential hookup.

The Chiefs received permission to talk with DeAndre Hopkins earlier in the offseason and spoke to him before the draft, per sources. Contract was the hurdle, and to do it now, price would have to come way down.

KC likes him, but the deal they gave Donovan Smith makes $$$ tough.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 26, 2023

Breer states that Hopkins' contract was the major obstacle that prevented a deal getting made. At the time, Hopkins was playing out the final portion of a two-year, $54.5 million extension signed in 2020. Now that Hopkins has been released, he and the Chiefs are free to work out a contract that works for both of them.

That being said, it takes two to make a deal. If demand for Hopkins' services is high, or he values himself as a truly elite talent, the Chiefs will have a hard time crafting a contract that suits them. Odell Beckham Jr. signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens earlier this offseason; Hopkins would likely balk at anything less.

Hopkins could help a Chiefs team suddenly short on veteran wide receivers; Juju Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman both left in free agency. Set to turn 31 years old before the beginning of the season, Hopkins may not be quite at the peak of his powers, but he remains valuable when available: he averaged 67.8 receiving yards per game and 8.1 yards per target over 19 appearances from 2021 to 2022.