DeAndre Hopkins is just not even near hanging up his cleats — in keeping with him, not less than.
The free-agent wide receiver, 31, wrote Thursday on Threads that he’ll understand it’s time to retire when he can’t reach a certain watermark.
“I’ll retire from football once I’m not a 1k-yard receiver,” Hopkins wrote on Threads. “With that said, I used to be on pace for 1,400 yards last 12 months—one significant injury [in] 11 years. I is perhaps playing till I’m 37 the best way I feel.”
Hopkins, who was released by the Cardinals on May 26, has not reached the 1,000-yard mark as a receiver because the 2020 season, though his last two campaigns were hampered by injuries and a suspension as a result of the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy after trace elements of ostarine were present in his system, leaving Hopkins “confused and shocked,” he said on the time.
The five-time Pro Bowler played just 19 games over the past two years following an eight-year run wherein he reached the 1,000 receiving yards plateau six times — almost entirely with the Texans.
Hopkins has drawn interest from quite a few teams during his unexpected free agency, most notably the Titans, Patriots and Chiefs.
While Hopkins has visited with each Recent England and Tennessee — fostering “optimism” for a signing with the Patriots — the Chiefs have emerged as a contender recently, per ESPN.
“The Chiefs have kept in touch,” NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said, “they usually have, actually, some interest. The issue is money, they don’t have much of it.”
Money has been a matter for all of Hopkins’ suitors, because it’s still unclear how much the wide receiver, who was slated to make $19 million this season before his release, desires.
The Chiefs have just $409,942 in cap space currently, in keeping with Overthecap.com, but could change their situation with a latest contract for defensive tackle Chris Jones, per Fowler’s report.
For the defending champions, whose pass-catching group was headlined by All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce and receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling last 12 months, adding a resurgent Hopkins could provide Patrick Mahomes with one other dangerous weapon.
