The NFL season is just a few months away, but there are still plenty of talented players around the league who remain unsigned.
One of those is veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins. He may not be at the top of his game anymore, but he’s still a player who can make an impact on an NFL roster.
So, why is the veteran still not signed, and what does that mean for Hopkins’ NFL future?
Why Is DeAndre Hopkins Still Unsigned for the 2026 NFL Season?
Hopkins entered the league as the Houston Texans’ first-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, and he more than lived up to that during his time in Texas.
The Clemson product reeled in 52 catches for 802 yards and 2 touchdowns in his rookie season and followed that with a 1,000-yard campaign in 2014.
That started a seven-year stretch that included six 1,000-yard seasons, five Pro Bowls, and five All-Pro selections.
For the back half of the 2010s, Hopkins was one of, if not the, best receivers in the NFL and led the league in touchdown receptions in 2017.
However, after six 1,000-yard seasons in his first eight years in the league, including three seasons with at least 1,400 yards, Hopkins has eclipsed 1,000 yards only once in the last five years.
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The 13-year veteran has declined in his 30s, now sitting at 34 years old heading into his 14th year in the NFL.
After he spent the first seven years of his career in Houston and the next three seasons in Arizona, Hopkins has been on three different teams in the last three years.
The former All-Pro had 940 yards combined over the last two seasons with the Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens.
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Both the Chiefs and Ravens brought Hopkins in because they needed some depth and experience at the position, and it seemed to be a great fit with star veteran quarterbacks under center.
And while Hopkins had his moments, his tenures with each team weren’t necessarily successful, and his age may be catching up to him.
The veteran also has never won a Super Bowl, and, as with many star veterans, he knows he is in the back end and nearing the end of his career, and stints with the Ravens and Chiefs allowed him a shot at a championship.
There are four teams that have been rumored to be possibilities for Hopkins in 2026, and those include the Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings, Chiefs, and Texans.
The Bengals would allow Hopkins to join Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, working with Joe Burrow on a team that has eyes on being contenders in the AFC this season.
Hopkins also ranked No. 78 in PFSN’s WR Impact metric, which would be around the WR3 category, exactly where he would slot in with Cincinnati.
The other three destinations would allow for reunions. Minnesota would be with Kyler Murray, whom he played with in Arizona, and the Texans would be with the team that drafted him.
Hopkins was beloved in Houston, and now the team is a contender in the AFC; of course, the Chiefs would be a reunion from two years ago and an obvious chance to contend in the AFC again.
The biggest question mark with Kansas City is Rashee Rice’s legal troubles, but Hopkins could be a perfect addition for a contending team that has the misfortune of dealing with injuries before the season or early in the regular season.
