Why The Patriots Need To Sign DeAndre Hopkins
The Patriots should go after Hopkins after his release from the Cardinals
Lucy Burdge - May 30, 2023, 7:57pm EDT
When the Cardinals released DeAndre Hopkins last week, my first thought was, “The Patriots should sign him.”
Now that the contract is not a barrier, the path for that to happen would have fewer roadblocks. And I think it makes sense.
And oddsmakers don’t exactly disagree. The odds at DraftKings for the Patriots to sign Hopkins are +900, which indicates it’s not entirely out of the question. New England is only fifth on this odds list behind the Bills at +300, the Chiefs at +400, the Ravens at +650 and the Jets at +700.
But my second thought when the Cardinals released him was, “would he want to play with Mac Jones?”
Hopkins has been vocal about what kind of quarterback he wants to play for and has listed specific QBs he would team up with. On the “I am Athlete” podcast, Hopkins listed Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert as the quarterbacks he would most like to team up with.
While Jones was not mentioned on this list, there are some factors that make me believe Hopkins joining the Patriots isn’t out of the question.
First of all, Bill Belichick has a ton of respect for him. The Patriots head coach gushed about Hopkins last season when he said, "He's got tremendous ball skills, he catches everything, great hands … Great coordination on the sidelines, and he doesn't really look it but he's a strong kid. You see him break tackles, he's strong creating separation, yards after contact, extra yards around the goal line or the extra yard for a first down. He's a smart football player, very savvy. His ball skills are at the very elite level with guys I've seen in this league … He's every bit as good as anybody I've ever coached against."
When the Cardinals released DeAndre Hopkins last week, my first thought was, “The Patriots should sign him.”
Now that the contract is not a barrier, the path for that to happen would have fewer roadblocks. And I think it makes sense.
And oddsmakers don’t exactly disagree. The odds at DraftKings for the Patriots to sign Hopkins are +900, which indicates it’s not entirely out of the question. New England is only fifth on this odds list behind the Bills at +300, the Chiefs at +400, the Ravens at +650 and the Jets at +700.
But my second thought when the Cardinals released him was, “would he want to play with Mac Jones?”
Hopkins has been vocal about what kind of quarterback he wants to play for and has listed specific QBs he would team up with. On the “I am Athlete” podcast, Hopkins listed Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert as the quarterbacks he would most like to team up with.
While Jones was not mentioned on this list, there are some factors that make me believe Hopkins joining the Patriots isn’t out of the question.
First of all, Bill Belichick has a ton of respect for him. The Patriots head coach gushed about Hopkins last season when he said, "He's got tremendous ball skills, he catches everything, great hands … Great coordination on the sidelines, and he doesn't really look it but he's a strong kid. You see him break tackles, he's strong creating separation, yards after contact, extra yards around the goal line or the extra yard for a first down. He's a smart football player, very savvy. His ball skills are at the very elite level with guys I've seen in this league … He's every bit as good as anybody I've ever coached against."
Bringing Hopkins on board would add a jolt of legitimacy to this Patriots team. Right now their Super Bowl odds are +5000 at BetMGM, so they're not getting a ton of credit among oddsmakers. I think Patriots fans feel like Logan Roy did in Succession when he said to his kids, "I love you, but you are not serious people." Hopkins would add an air of attempting to contend to this Patriots team.
On Memorial Day, Hopkins posted a video to his Instagram story from a gym of the television showing the Patriots’ comeback in Super Bowl LI, which just happens to be the greatest comeback in NFL history. So he seems to have at least some interest in the team.
Furthermore, in another social media clue, Patriots linebacker Mack Wilson tagged the team in a tweet that listed the aspects of a team Hopkins is looking for. So the desire to sign Hopkins seems to exist in the Patriots locker room.
Even if it turned into just a dalliance between the Patriots and Hopkins, it would be a smart move by New England to bring on Hopkins that would show they care about winning and demand to be taken seriously. And I think it would be a great move.
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