After becoming an NFL free agent again this offseason, former Clemson star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins remains on the open market.
The 33-year-old Hopkins has caught passes from a slew of different starting quarterbacks over his 13-year NFL career, and he was recently asked by Sports Illustrated if there’s one particular QB he’d like to play with that he hasn’t yet.
Hopkins named Joe Burrow, the franchise signal-caller for the Cincinnati Bengals.
“I gotta go with Joe Burrow. I think Joe is one of the best. I love his game, his toughness,” Hopkins said. “He took his team to a Super Bowl early in his career, and I feel like he can get back there with a little bit of help.”
Of course, if Hopkins were to sign with the Bengals, not only would he get to catch passes from Burrow, but he would also be teammates in Cincinnati’s receiving corps with fellow former Clemson star wideout Tee Higgins.
CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani weighed in on the idea of Hopkins joining Burrow and the Bengals.
“The Bengals would be a pretty comfortable landing spot for Hopkins,” Dajani wrote. “Burrow does have two of the best wide receivers in the NFL with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but no legitimate third option. Plus, Higgins has dealt with injuries over the past few years, missing 12 total games in the last three seasons. Hopkins has spent the past two years with AFC contenders in the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. The Bengals could be next.”
As mentioned, Hopkins spent the 2025 season with the Ravens after signing a one-year deal with the team last March. In 17 games with Baltimore, he hauled in 22 receptions for 330 yards and two touchdowns, averaging exactly 15 yards per reception – just shy of his career high of 15.9 yards per reception back in 2014, his second NFL season.
Along with Cincinnati, Dajani named five other potential landing spots for Hopkins – the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans.
Hopkins, a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro, said earlier this year that he isn’t ready to hang up his cleats just yet or call it a career and retire, but instead plans to play at least one more season.
“I love this game. I know I can keep playing this game,” he said. “I know I can go out and beat what teams call their No. 1 DB, as you guys saw the first game of the year. The first catch, first touchdown that I had was against one of the highest-paid DBs in the game [Bills’ Christian Benford]. So, for myself, I know what I can do, and I know I’ve still got some years left.
“But who knows, man. I definitely want to play. I know I want to play one more year for sure. … I enjoy the game, and I embrace everything that comes with it.”
Hopkins has amassed 1,006 receptions for 13,295 yards and 85 touchdowns over 195 games during his Hall of Fame-caliber career with the Texans, Cardinals, Titans, Chiefs and Ravens since being selected by the Texans in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft (No. 27 overall pick). Hopkins has appeared in one Super Bowl, when he played for the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX (February 2025). The Chiefs fell short, losing to the Eagles by a score of 40-22, so Hopkins is still looking to win his first Super Bowl ring.