The Arizona Cardinals released star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on Friday afternoon, leaving many teams intrigued about the possibility of acquiring his services. One such team that has emerged in speculation is the Tennessee Titans. However, that is mostly amongst Titans fans as there are several factors that make it highly unlikely that Hopkins will choose to join the Titans for the upcoming season. Here are three reasons why DeAndre Hopkins will NOT be a Titan in 2023.
3 Reasons DeAndre Hopkins Will NOT Sign with the Titans
1. The Uncertain Future at QB:
Tennessee Titans QB Will Levis (8) – Ben Liebenberg/NFL/Tennessee Titans
Firstly, the quarterback situation in Tennessee raises significant doubts about the team’s appeal to DeAndre. With Ryan Tannehill, who is entering the final year of his contract and has had mixed success in recent years, as the current starting quarterback, the Titans lack the elite quarterback talent that Hopkins will likely seek. Also add to the fact that Will Levis is poised to be the long-term solution and Hopkins is thirty years old. It’s likely that this will be the last contract in the NFL for DeAndre Hopkins. He will want to play with a top-tier quarterback that will be there for the duration of his contract and it is certain the Titans cannot provide Hopkins that.
2. Limited Cap Space:
Tennessee Titans FS Kevin Byard (31) – Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Additionally, the Titans’ limited cap space presents the biggest significant obstacle to signing DeAndre Hopkins. With a little over $10 million in available cap space per Over The Cap, Tennessee would struggle to come close to Hopkins’ financial demands. While Hopkins is unlikely to seek a lucrative contract, it will still cost a pretty penny to land him. Spotrac has estimated Hopkins has a current estimated market value of $23.2M average annual salary per year. The Titans would have to make a difficult choice of either cutting Kevin Byard, who is currently skipping OTAs because he was asked to take a pay cut this off-season, or Ryan Tannehill in order to land him.
Cutting Tannehill to make way for a rookie QB taking over the reins of the offense isn’t going to appeal to Hopkins either. The Titans would have to make a major cut like Byard and potentially even another player to get the cap space to even be in the market for Hopkins. Once they did all of that to even get into the market for Hopkins, they would have to overpay to attract him away from Super Bowl contenders. This isn’t exactly a smart strategy considering Hopkins is thirty years old and on the last stretch of his NFL career. The Titans’ cap constraints make it extremely difficult for them to even be able to compete with other potential suitors.
3. Hopkins Will Seek To Play For a Contender:
Former Arizona Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins (10) – Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Moreover, Hopkins is in a stage of his career where he is likely to prioritize joining a contender, aiming for a Super Bowl ring. Kansas City and Buffalo are the current betting favorites to land Hopkins. Unfortunately for the Titans, they are not widely perceived as strong championship contenders outside of some within their own fan base. The Titans actually have the fifth lowest odds to win the Super Bowl this year. This lack of external recognition as a top-tier contender and holes on their roster diminishes the allure of the Titans as a destination for Hopkins, who is likely to be keen on joining a team with a realistic shot at winning it all.
In summary, The Tennessee Titans don’t just face multiple obstacles in their pursuit of DeAndre Hopkins; they face an impossible task. The uncertain quarterback situation, limited cap space, and the current situation with the team not being anywhere close to a Super Bowl contender all work against their chances of signing the star wide receiver. Hopkins will be opting instead for a team with a more enticing quarterback situation, greater financial flexibility, and a team that is a contender. This will keep things on track for the Titans to have one of the worst WR groups in the entire NFL when the season starts in September.
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