After a cup of coffee and a run through the AFC Playoffs and ultimately a Super Bowl appearance with the Kansas City Chiefs, DeAndre Hopkins is headed to a new destination, Baltimore, in an effort to get an elusive championship ring.
Finally, he fulfilled his wish of playing with Lamar Jackson.
The wide receiver agreed to a one-year, $6 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday afternoon, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Hopkins was traded to the Chiefs by the Tennessee Titans ahead of the 2024 deadline, and he helped the team reach the Super Bowl for an unprecedented third consecutive season in the Super Bowl era. Hopkins had 437 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 10 games in Kansas City. He came down with two receptions for 18 yards and a touchdown in their 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX also.
The Ravens will be the fourth team for Hopkins over the last four seasons. The five-time Pro Bowler had 1,057 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 2023 with the Titans, which marked the seventh 1,000-yard season of his Hall of Fame worthy career, however, his production took a dip and was down across the board last season even with his switching teams. Hopkins was in the final year of a two-year, $26 million deal when he was dealt to Kansas City.
Hopkins is 16th all-time in catches (984), 21st in yards (12,965) and tied for 26th in touchdowns (83).
The 32-year-old will no doubt play a huge role in the Ravens’ offense and the leadership department as well this fall with quarterback Jackson. He will get to team up with Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman in the wide receivers’ room, which will give Jackson plenty of weapons outside of what was a historic rushing campaign from running back Derrick Henry last season. The team went 12-5 and made it to the divisional round of the playoffs, but they were eliminated from the postseason by Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
Embed from Getty ImagesHopkins has long been an admirer of the two-time NFL MVP, calling him “one of the greats” in May 2023.
“I would be lying to sit here and say it wouldn’t be an honor one day to play with a great guy and a great quarterback like Lamar,” Hopkins said on the “I Am Athlete” podcast.
Hopkins entered the NFL as a first-round draft pick of the Houston Texans in 2013 out of Clemson. He has played 12 seasons between the Texans, Arizona Cardinals, Titans and Chiefs.
While making it to the Super Bowl for the first time under Jackson at quarterback is still the objective, the Ravens’ offense added another very valuable piece in free agency this offseason.
Expect them to be in a three-team race and compete with the Chiefs and the Bills once again next season in the AFC.
