There Is One Way The Bears Could Snag DeAndre Hopkins

The Chicago Bears already secured a top wide receiver when they traded for D.J. Moore. However, the saying goes that there is no such thing as too many weapons. If this team wants to get the most out of Justin Fields, it would make sense to afford him every advantage possible. That is why some speculate it might be worth exploring the idea of pursuing DeAndre Hopkins. The former Pro Bowler is set to be released by the Arizona Cardinals, making him a rare late-stage free agent with massive value.

Thus far, people have speculated the usual suspects for his services. Buffalo, Kansas City, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Cleveland are all playoff contenders. All have proven quarterbacks under center. Hopkins hasn't won a ring yet in his career. Most presume he will prioritize that, which eliminates the Bears from any consideration. Except Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk isn't sure that is the case. From what he is hearing, Hopkins isn't ready to make massive sacrifices just to join any contender.

"Receiver DeAndre Hopkins is free to sign with anyone. But the contract won’t be anywhere close to free.

As one source explained it to PFT on Saturday morning, Hopkins currently expects to secure a significant contract on the open market. The problem, however, is that no one wanted to trade for his prior deal, which paid less than $20 million this year."

The Bears have one thing DeAndre Hopkins wants.

That is money. No team has more salary cap space available than Chicago. If Ryan Poles thinks adding the star receiver can push his young quarterback over the top, then he can reach into his wallet for a larger payday than any other team. The hard part would be convincing Hopkins that the Bears are capable of making a playoff run. They don't have an elite defense, and Fields wasn't exactly lighting up the stat sheet through the air. He might be skeptical of what they can offer him.

Then again, he is a competitive guy that believes he can elevate any QB he plays with. He proved it in Houston and Arizona. A quatro of DeAndre Hopkins, Moore, Chase Claypool, and Darnell Mooney would be easily the deepest receiving corps the Bears have ever fielded. The truth is it won't happen. Poles isn't going to pay big money to a receiver in his 30s that hasn't played a full season since 2020. He wants to give Claypool an opportunity to shine. Signing Hopkins for what would likely be a one-year deal makes little sense to the big picture.