The Arizona Cardinals cut DeAndre Hopkins, so where does he end up?

With a rebuild well underway for the Arizona Cardinals, the expected move of moving on from star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins finally happened Friday, with the franchise officially announcing his release. Hopkins’ future in Arizona had been heavily speculated since the end of last season, mainly due to the direction of the franchise mixed with his $30.75 million cap hit, the highest for any receiver in the NFL and seventh overall among any player.

So where does that leave the five-time Pro Bowler? Here are the best fits for the soon-to-be-31-year-old Hopkins after a three-year stay in the desert. One team not appearing on this list is Houston. The Texans were the team that drafted Hopkins and where he played for the first seven years of his NFL career. With winning a Super Bowl in mind, I can’t think of a worse franchise to bet on. However, here are the best choices for D-Hop.

When it comes to being so close, yet so far from winning a championship, no team exemplifies that more in recent years than Buffalo. Signing someone the caliber of Hopkins could finally put the Bills over the edge instead of losing in the playoffs again.

Let’s keep Lamar Jackson happy! Even with a brand-new contract, drafting Zay Flowers in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft and the acquisition of Odell Beckham Jr., Baltimore’s wide receiving corps is still subpar. And here’s one spot where Hopkins can be the No. 1 guy.

In terms of winning a Super Bowl quickly, this absolutely isn’t the strongest fit. However, with Eric Bieniemy as the team’s offensive coordinator and with a major point to prove around the league, Hopkins would be a major focal point and a major weapon for a younger offense.

Here’s a pipe dream. Justin Jefferson on one side, Hopkins on the other. What team is stopping that duo? Neither would be completely fulfilled in terms of workload, but it would be fun as heck to watch. Until Kirk Cousins somehow messes it up.

When it comes to being involved in anything in the NFL, Kansas City isn’t far behind. While the Chiefs don’t need Hopkins to win another Super Bowl, he’d be the best wide receiver on the team. This might be the only team he’d take a major pay cut to join with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. 

Why not give Joe Burrow another big-name target? The Bengals would be an interesting fit for Hopkins as they’re a combination of the situations for Buffalo and Kansas City. They need to get over the hump to win a Super Bowl, but not much more has to go right for Cincinnati to get there.

Every attractive NFL agent should be considered to go to Dallas because Jerry Jones can spend money. The team hasn’t truly lived up to its billing for an incredibly long time and Hopkins could be what sends Cowboys to the next level.