Are the Chicago Bears a likely landing spot for recently released DeAndre Hopkins?

The top teams likely to land DeAndre Hopkins

On a recent episode of the "I am Athlete" podcast, DeAndre Hopkins listed five quarterbacks he'd most like to catch passes from. They included Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. I don't believe that all of these teams will be in on the Hopkins auction, but here are the teams I think will become likely possibilities:

Buffalo Bills

I think it is safe to say that the Buffalo Bills are going to be a top destination spot for DeAndre Hopkins if they want him. They don't have very much room in the salary cap department, but cap space is a myth anyway. Just look at the Odell Beckham contract with the Baltimore Ravens. His cap hit is just under $4 million, but he can earn $15 million. The Bills only have $1.6 million, but with some restructuring, they could easily make a deal happen. Can you imagine Josh Allen throwing to both Stefon Diggs and DeAndre Hopkins in 2023? Watch out!

Kansas City Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs just won the Super Bowl in 2022, but that should not stop them from pushing for another Lombardi Trophy in 2023. Even without DeAndre Hopkins on the roster, the team will compete for a ring, but adding him makes them an easy lock for the top spot in the AFC. Two years ago they traded away Tyreek Hill and it worked out because they added JuJu Smith-Schuster. Now, their top receivers are Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. They are in a similar spot with the Bills salary cap-wise, but I'm sure they can work it out.

New York Jets

I know that he's not on the list, but I could see DeAndre Hopkins looking to play with Aaron Rodgers. Hopkins talked about a stable front office (that's questionable here) and a championship-type defense. The Jets may not have the most stable front-office situation, but they look to be safe for at least a couple of years and I don't see DeAndre Hopkins landing anything more than a three-year deal. Pairing DeAndre Hopkins with Garrett Wilson would be a fantastic upgrade over the likes of Corey Davis and Mecole Hardman. Plus, they have plenty of salary cap room.