A three-year run at Clemson paved the way for a kid from South Carolina to be picked as the 27th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Since then, he has cemented himself as one of the most prolific pass-catchers and wide receivers the league has ever seen. We’re talking about DeAndre Hopkins, who entered his 13th year in the league in 2025 and serves as a member of the Baltimore Ravens for the first time.
Drafted by the Houston Texans, he played for the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs last season. In the previous two years, Hopkins’ focus has shifted squarely to postseason success, and his resume remains lacklustre compared to his prolific regular-season standards. Ultimately, that became the foundation of his decision to sign with the Ravens.
How Did DeAndre Hopkins End up on the Ravens?
Starting his career strong, Hopkins exploded into a 1,000-yard receiver by Year 2, before elevating to 1,521 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015, which served as his first Pro Bowl selection.
His jump to supertardom came in 2017, starting a four-year streak of consecutive Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections for Hopkins. A wildly consistent performer until then, 2021 is when the script changed on him.
A torn MCL that year caused him to appear in 10 games before he missed the first six weeks of the 2022 season after being suspended for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.
As a result, the Cardinals released him after the season, paving the way for Tennessee to sign the veteran wide receiver. Getting his bearings back with the Titans, he recorded the seventh 1,000-yard season of his career in 2023.
However, midway through the 2024 campaign, he was traded to the Chiefs, as his focus shifted to playoff success. Unfortunately, Kansas City didn’t utilize him heavily, leading to his numbers taking a huge dip despite him making the first Super Bowl of his career.
At the end of the season, he had nearly 13,000 receiving yards and 83 touchdowns. However, Hopkins chose to sign with Baltimore in the offseason, wanting to have at least one final swansong. He made the deal official on March 13, 2025.
Why Did Hopkins Choose the Ravens?
In 2023, the five-time Pro Bowler declared, “I would be lying to sit here and say it wouldn’t be an honor one day to play with a great guy and a great quarterback like Lamar [Jackson].”
Nearly two years after his comments, Hopkins had a chance to make that dream a reality, and the Ravens were all too willing to add another dynamic offensive threat to continue to elevate the passing game around their two-time MVP.
At the time of the signing, general manager Eric DeCosta had some glowing words for the five-time All-Pro selection, stating, “D-Hop is a player whom we have competed against and admired for a long time. He fits our style of play and is another weapon for our offense.”
The infatuation for Jackson, though, began long before 2023. A game against Clemson, Hopkins’ alma mater, paved the way for D-Hop to follow his new quarterback’s career with special attention.
He even credited Jackson’s leadership status for his arrival in Baltimore. “What he stands for and how he’s led his team and his organization to be in the playoffs multiple years since he’s been here.”
Continuing, “He’s just led any receiver group he’s had. So that played a big part of me coming here.” Through two weeks, it’s looked like Hopkins has found his older self again, with spectacular catches in both games against the Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns.
Tallying 99 yards and two touchdowns as the designated WR3, the improbable part of that equation has been that it’s taken the veteran wide receiver just four receptions to achieve those numbers.
While he hasn’t become a significant part of the offensive game plan, his presence and catching ability have immediately paid dividends for the Ravens. At the end of the day, though, the hope for both sides is that the partnership can be mutually beneficial.
