The DeAndre Hopkins sweepstakes are officially underway, with the Arizona Cardinals releasing the veteran wide receiver, making him a free agent and available to the highest bidder.
Although Hopkins will have no shortage of interested teams, one intriguing landing spot for the five-time All-Pro is with the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns are coming off a forgettable season, which was the first for star quarterback Deshaun Watson, a former teammate of Hopkins from their time together with the Houston Texans.
Hopkins had his best years in the NFL while catching passes from Watson in Houston, which obviously makes reuniting in Cleveland an intriguing prospect for both sides.
Watson recently talked about the possibility of reuniting with Hopkins and admitted he’s all for it happening but will leave it up to the team’s general manager via Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team.
#Browns QB Deshaun Watson told reporters that he has been in contact with DeAndre Hopkins and "of course" he'd want him to join the team. Watson says he's leaving it up to GM Andrew Berry. pic.twitter.com/eC6c8G7MkA
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 30, 2023
The Browns will have stiff competition for Hopkins’ services even though they have a familiar face in Watson, helping the recruiting process.
Along with Cleveland presumably going after Hopkins, AFC heavyweights Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills want to bring him in as well, as both teams had trade talks with the Cardinals before the team ultimately decided to release the wide receiver.
That said, it’ll be interesting to see what Hopkins values in his next team and whether he wants the allure of legitimate title contenders or reuniting on a Browns team that could be dysfunctional with no guarantee the franchise will be able to keep it together or compete.
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