Arizona Cardinals vast receiver DeAndre Hopkins participates in conditioning drills alongside teammates as gamers report for coaching camp at State Farm Stadium. Hopkins joined a bunch exercise session throughout early preseason preparations on July 27, 2021, in Glendale, Arizona, because the Cardinals started ramping up soccer actions forward of the upcoming NFL marketing campaign. Obligatory Credit score: David Wallace-Imagn Photos.
In mid-March, five-time Professional Bowl vast receiver DeAndre Hopkins point-blank admitted that he needed to affix the Minnesota Vikings’ roster for the 2026 marketing campaign. Six weeks later, although Hopkins has signed nowhere, CBS Sports activities nonetheless believes he’s the appropriate man for the Vikings’ vacant WR3 job.
Minnesota skipped March and April wideouts, leaving the veteran market open for yet one more pass-catching swing.
Minnesota curiously didn’t draft any wideouts in April, making males like Hopkins relevant for Could free-agent theories.
Hopkins’ Murray Connection Retains Vikings Rumor Alive
As a redzone goal, Hopkins might transfer the needle.
Arizona Cardinals vast receiver DeAndre Hopkins celebrates after scoring a landing towards the Los Angeles Chargers throughout first-half motion at State Farm Stadium. Hopkins continued serving as Arizona’s prime receiving weapon in the course of the 2022 season, and the second occurred on Nov. 27, 2022, in Glendale, Arizona, throughout a matchup between the Cardinals and Chargers. Obligatory Credit score: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports activities.
CBS Sports activities: Vikings Are a Touchdown Spot for Hopkins
Along with the Buffalo Payments, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, and Los Angeles Rams, the Vikings made the minimize on Jordan Dajani’s checklist of Hopkins’s locations.
He defined, “The Minnesota Vikings have a new quarterback in Kyler Murray, whom Hopkins is very familiar with. The two players spent three seasons together with the Arizona Cardinals from 2020-2022.”
“Hopkins’ first season in Arizona was one of his best, as he caught 115 passes for 1,407 yards and six touchdowns. The Vikings have a talented wide receiving room headlined by Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but adding a WR3 like Hopkins who has established chemistry with Murray would be ideal.”
Most would think about Hopkins an improve over present WR3 Tai Felton, who barely performed on offense as a rookie in 2025.
Hopkins’s Numbers Over the Years
Hopkins now seems to be extra of a complementary receiver than a top-tier WR1. In his prime, Hopkins was a dominant pressure, constantly serving because the Texans’ undisputed focus on offense. He was a go-to goal who delivered season after season, overwhelming defenses.
Nevertheless, his latest efficiency tells a unique story. In 2025, Baltimore focused Hopkins solely 39 instances — a considerably low determine for a participant of his previous caliber. This diminished utilization, suggesting a WR3 function fairly than that of an offensive centerpiece, mirrored his 2024 statistics with Kansas Metropolis and Tennessee.
This context makes a possible match with the Vikings logical. With Justin Jefferson firmly established as their major goal and Jordan Addison enjoying a major function, Minnesota doesn’t require one other prime receiver. As an alternative, Hopkins might fill a worthwhile area of interest decrease on the depth chart, contributing veteran expertise, refined route-running, and situational playmaking with out the strain of being the first choice. It’s what ageing WRs do.
It’s unrealistic to count on Hopkins to revert to his earlier elite kind. The Vikings would doubtless view him as a WR3 or WR4 who can present supplementary help to an already gifted offense.
These are Hopkins’s career-long numbers:
2025 — BAL: 22 Rec | 330 Yds | 2 TDs2024 — KC/TEN: 56 Rec | 610 Yds | 5 TDs2023 — TEN: 75 Rec | 1,057 Yds | 7 TDs2022 — ARI: 64 Rec | 717 Yds | 3 TDs2021 — ARI: 42 Rec | 572 Yds | 8 TDs2020 — ARI: 115 Rec | 1,407 Yds | 6 TDs2019 — HOU: 104 Rec | 1,165 Yds | 7 TDs2018 — HOU: 115 Rec | 1,572 Yds | 11 TDs2017 — HOU: 96 Rec | 1,378 Yds | 13 TDs2016 — HOU: 78 Rec | 954 Yds | 4 TDs2015 — HOU: 111 Rec | 1,521 Yds | 11 TDs
Hopkins’s Phrases in March
A reporter from TMZ requested Hopkins in March if he’d prefer to signal with the Vikings and reunite with Murray. He mentioned, “Kyler — that’s my boy, man. Kyler is like family. I talked to Kyler throughout the year last year. I talked to Kyler after, you know, his situation in Arizona. Kyler’s like family, man.”
“I would always, you know, embrace that journey with him. He’s on a one-year deal? Whatever I can do for what someone like that — if Kyler need me he know I’m there, if the Vikings need me they know I’ll be there.”
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray stands with vast receiver DeAndre Hopkins throughout a sport towards the Washington Soccer Crew at State Farm Stadium. The duo shaped one of many NFL’s extra recognizable quarterback-receiver pairings in the course of the 2020 season, and the picture was captured on Sep. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Arizona. Obligatory Credit score: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports activities.
That was then, and that is now, however the state of play stays. Hopkins is unsigned, and the Vikings didn’t draft a WR3 alternative in April. So, the Hopkins angle stays.
The Murray Angle
If Hopkins does check in Minnesota, the entrance workplace can thank Murray. He’s the drawing attraction proper now, the luring issue that would make the Vikings a fringe Tremendous Bowl contender. Gamers across the enterprise respect Murray, his ability set, and his presumably untapped ceiling.
There’s additionally the protection. Brian Flores has created the NFL’s second-best protection on his watch since taking on in 2023. Actually, Hopkins performed for the Ravens final 12 months, and on paper, that they had the identical components: a confirmed quarterback, a often good protection, and playoff aspirations.
Tennessee Titans vast receiver DeAndre Hopkins celebrates a landing towards the Indianapolis Colts throughout fourth-quarter motion at Nissan Stadium. Hopkins delivered considered one of his stronger performances of the 2023 marketing campaign on Dec. 3, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee, whereas serving to the Titans battle a division rival late within the regular-season schedule. Obligatory Credit score: Denny Simmons-Imagn Photos.
The Hopkins-to-Vikings talker will keep afloat till he indicators someplace for the 2026 marketing campaign. Murray’s presence on the depth chart permits it.
Hopkins additionally said lately that he wouldn’t thoughts enjoying alongside Joe Burrow in Cincinnati.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … Extra about Dustin Baker
