Getty Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins catches a pass at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 17, 2021.
After weeks of rumored reports linking the Buffalo Bills to Arizona Cardinals star DeAndre Hopkins, Adam “Pacman” Jones announced on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday, April 27 that “something is going to happen with the wide receiver today.”
The Cardinals are looking to acquire quality picks in exchange for Hopkins, so it makes sense for Arizona to pull the trigger on a trade before the 2023 NFL Draft officially kicks off at 8 p.m. ET. While Jones mentions he’s hearing that the five-time Pro Bowler will likely land with the Bills, Chiefs, or Ravens, veteran Shaq Lawson made it clear he’d like Hopkins as his teammate in Buffalo.
Lawson first shared a photo of him and Hopkins, who went to the same high school, D.W. Daniel High School in Central, South Carolina. The Bills’ defensive end tweeted, “Just like old times 👀 let’s make that happen.”
Lawson then posted a second photo, a black-and-white picture of him and Hopkins that quickly went viral on Twitter. One Bills fan wrote, “Please don’t get my hopes up,” while another person tweeted, “PLEASE SHAQ DONT BE PLAYING WITH MY EMOTIONS.”
One man retweeted the picture and wrote, “If Buffalo gets DeAndre Hopkins, the AFC East (if not already) would be the best division in the NFL and it wouldn’t be close. You would have to win a minimum 10 games just to be in 2nd place 😭.”
In addition to playing football at the same high school, both Hopkins and Lawson attended Clemson before entering NFL Draft, where they each became first-round selections. While Hopkins was the Houston Texans No. 27 overall pick in 2013, Lawson was selected by the Bills at No. 19 in 2016.
Yahoo! Sports senior reporter Charles Robinson tweeted on Thursday, “More on Hopkins and the #Ravens… keep close tabs on the #Bills’ first-round pick tonight at No. 27 overall. If they’re out on a Hopkins pursuit, watch for a receiver pick.”
DeAndre Hopkins Gushed Over the Bills Franchise in Recent Interview
The Bills need to find a solid WR2 to back up Stefon Diggs and Hopkins, who would be a near-perfect fit, has dropped several hints that he’d love to be traded to Buffalo. Last month, Hopkins shared a photo of himself on his Instagram Stories with Bob Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier” playing in the background and during an April 16 appearance on of CBS Sports “All Things Covered Podcast,” his body language did the talking when asked about possibly joining the Bills.
During an interview with “Fantasy Football Today” that was posted on Wednesday, Hopkins gushed over the franchise as a whole. “Love the Buffalo Bills. Love everything about the organization. Love Josh Allen. Love Stefon Diggs. Love all those guys,” Hopkins said. While the 30-year-old claimed that he was undefeated against the Bills (he’s actually 3-1), Hopkins added, “I like the organization, what they’re doing.”
The price to acquire Hopkins in a trade has plummeted over the past few weeks, and while the Bills only have six picks to work with, Bills’ general manager Brandon Beane may feel more confident snagging a solid veteran instead taking his chances by selecting a wide receiver in the first round.
Von Miller Said He Would ‘Love’ the Bills to Acquire DeAndre Hopkins
Lawson isn’t the only Bills player campaigning to bring Hopkins to Buffalo. Superstar edge rusher Von Miller said he would “love” to see the three-time All-Pro suit up in Orchard Park.
Instead of attending the Cardinals’ voluntary workout program, Hopkins has been doing his own conditioning at a different gym, but it was initially unclear which facility he was working out in. Miller, who’s spent the offseason rehabbing from ACL surgery, revealed Hopkins has been working out with him in Dallas, Texas, and the two have been chatting it up.
“Hop says he wants to be a Buffalo Bill,” Miller said, per SI. “I would love to see DeAndre Hopkins be here and I would love to have his skill set on our offense with Josh Allen Stefon Diggs and Dawson Knox and Gabe Davis. How could we lose with those guys?”
The eight-time Pro Bowler seemed to have learned his lesson when it comes to over-hyping a player’s seemingly imminent move to Buffalo after the Odell Beckham Jr. situation. “You just never know until you get that DeAndre Hopkins signature on the contract,” Miller noted.
However, just one day later, during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Miller dropped another hint that Hopkins to Buffalo may be in the pipeline. “Word on the street is that we might be getting another big-time weapon,” Miller said. “We missed out on OBJ, it’s another big weapon out there if you get him.”
