I’ll be honest, I don’t want the Chicago Bears to make this move. I think there are better moves to be had and targeting a soon-to-be 31-year-old wide receiver isn’t the way to go. That said, I wouldn’t hate the idea of adding DeAndre Hopkins to the mix. He only has two years left on his contract. Although expensive, the Bears can obviously afford him. Hopkins’ base salary in 2023 is just over $19 million and his base salary in 2024 is only a little over $14 million. He’s still worth that amount of money at 31 and 32 years old.
When I look at this situation, the one trade that seems very similar is the Amari Cooper trade last year. The Browns sent two fifth-round picks and swapped sixth-round picks for Cooper. The Cowboys did not get the return I thought they would for Cooper. However, the way Cooper’s contract was written, most of his salary went with him to Cleveland and the Cowboys actually saved $16 million. The Cardinals won’t save that much, but they will save a little over $8 million if they find a trade partner.
Could the Chicago Bears make a trade for DeAndre Hopkins?
It was reported that the Cardinals are going to shop Hopkins, but one hurdle the Cardinals and the Chicago Bears need to overcome though is DeAndre Hopkins’ no-trade clause. I’m not certain that he’d be willing to waive that clause to come to Chicago should the Cardinals and Bears work out a deal. Here are three options that Ryan Poles could present to the Cardinals as they make a shift with a new general manager and new head coach.