Jaguars rumors: DeAndre Hopkins an unecessary luxury in Jacksonville

The Arizona Cardinals might hold a fire sale following the dismissal of head coach Kliff Kingsbury. One player they could potentially make available in the offseason is All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. While there’s no doubt Hopkins is still one of the best wide receivers in the league, he might be an unnecessary luxury for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jordan Schultz of theScore reports the Cards plan to trade Hopkins this offseason and adds that he’s likely looking for a new deal. Hopkins has a no-trade clause in his contract, so he has to approve any potential trade.

A first-round pick by the Houston Texans in 2013, Hopkins was traded to Arizona in 2020. The former Clemson Tiger has appeared in 145 games throughout his 10-year career and has tallied 853 catches for 11,298 yards with 71 touchdowns. Moreover, he’s made the Pro Bowl five times and has earned three First-Team All-Pro designations.

Despite the fact that Hopkins has hauled in a combined 106 receptions for 1,289 yards with 11 touchdowns over the last two seasons, there will likely be a robust market for his services. In fact, FanDuel thinks the Jags are one of some of the potential fits for the veteran wide receiver.

The Jaguars might not be in the market for DeAndre Hopkins

The Jaguars will have many needs to address in the offseason but wide receiver isn’t one of them. They already signed Christian Kirk and Zay Jones in the offseason and both of them have exceeded expectations. On top of that, the front office acquired Calvin Ridley from the Atlanta Falcons before the 2022 trade deadline.

Would it be great to see Hopkins play alongside Kirk, Jones and Ridley? You bet, but general manager Trent Baalke already allocated a vast amount of resources to the position. Compounding the issue is that Hopkins will likely want a new contract and given Jacksonville’s limited cap space in 2023, it will be hard to grant his request.

Make no mistake, Hopkins is a playmaker but the Jaguars are stacked at wide receiver and might need to replace tight end Evan Engram, and defensive end Arden Key. The fact that they will have a limited budget to work with in free agency could complicate a potential pursuit of Hopkins.

The Jaguars need to get their hands on as many difference-makers as they can in the offseason, especially if they want to return to the playoffs in 2023. However, it’s hard to picture a scenario in which they are a viable landing spot for Hopkins.