The Vikings Can Go Bold by Bringing a Kyler Murray Weapon to MIN
As things stand, the Vikings can lean on a top trio at receiver consisting of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Tai Felton. Much to like, though with some concerns about Mr. Felton’s ability to shine.
Opting for a proven weapon instead of Felton could make sense. The move feels particularly applicable given that the available talent is a former teammate of Kyler Murray, giving him built-in chemistry with the passer who is likely to take over the QB1 job. For all of those reasons, veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins makes at least some sense.
The Vikings Can Sign DeAndre Hopkins
Mr. Hopkins has been at least somewhat active on social media in recent days.
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In fact, the well-respected veteran offered an opinion on the possibility of Murray working alongside Jefferson, commenting, “K1 & JJ would be scary!” Bringing the former Cardinals quarterback to Minnesota demonstrates that the Vikings are hoping that Hopkins’ comment ends up being prophetic.
Nfl Cardinals Patriots 1213 New England Patriots At Arizona Cardinals
Consider, as well, that Hopkins thinks he still has some gas left in the tank.
The idea that the receiver shared: “How many times after this do you think I was used in the red zone? When targeted I’m still one of the most productive but never complained with my snaps & never will. Facts!” His response arrived after sharing a clip of him making an excellent catch even though a pair of defenders were all over him.
Last season, DeAndre Hopkins offered the Ravens 22 catches for 330 yards and 2 touchdowns. The sample size is modest, but averaging 15 yards per catch is a nice number. Hopkins stands at 6’1″ and 210 pounds, a frame that equips him to make contested catches.
And, for whatever it’s worth, PFF agrees that the veteran can still play. Last year, Hopkins tossed up an 81.3 grade onto PFF, a touch better than Justin Jefferson (who was sitting at 80.5). Now, there’s essentially nobody who thinks that Hopkins is better than Jefferson, but the point is nevertheless there for the taking: DeAndre Hopkins can still play, if only in a modest role.
Last year, Hopkins demanded just $2 million on Baltimore’s cap. He was chewing up $4.4 million in Kansas City back in 2024 and $4.6 million back in 2023 while working with the Titans. Almost certainly, adding him would be affordable, even for a team like the Vikings where there’s just $8.5 million in cap space (roughly).
The Vikings can add him if there’s a desire to do so.
In his debut season as a Cardinal, DeAndre Hopkins was elite. He offered 115 receptions for 1,407 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2020. Admittedly, that’s a lifetime ago, but the stats are worth noting since that was Jefferson’s rookie season. The two receivers shared a spot on the All Pro team (albeit on the second team).
Even more important is that Kyler Murray was the top passer during that season. The pair were co-workers for a couple more seasons, but Hopkins didn’t get into all of the game in either of 2021 or 2022.
Best guess is that Minnesota rolls with cheap youth at receiver. Do note, though, that Minnesota is approaching 2026 with the mindset that the Super Bowl is possible. Plus, the receiver position is young, with the 26-year-old Jefferson being the elder statesman.
DeAndre Hopkins, 33, offers good size and a history of tremendous production. He has been to the Pro Bowl five times. Hopkins has been a first-team All Pro a trio of times and a second-team All Pro a pair of times.
The Vikings could do much worse than Mr. Hopkins as the WR3 on a modest contract.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
