NFL Rumors: Why Patriots Rival Was Hesitant To Pursue DeAndre Hopkins

The Patriots apparently weren’t the only AFC East team interested in DeAndre Hopkins.

Hopkins didn’t take a visit to Buffalo as he did in New England, but the star wide receiver reportedly was courted by the Bills earlier in the NFL offseason. According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the three-time defending AFC East champions “worked through particulars” with both Hopkins and the Cardinals before the draft in late April.

The five-time Pro Bowl selection still was on Arizona’s roster at that juncture, and the Bills’ interest in Hopkins seemingly cooled once he hit free agency in late May. In a column published Tuesday, Breer revealed why Buffalo dialed back its Hopkins pursuit.

“My sense is there was trepidation because of how such a signing could upset the balance of the offense, with Stefon Diggs needing his touches, and Hopkins being a volume receiver,” Breer wrote. “Then, they drafted Dalton Kincaid to play the sort of inside receiver spot Hopkins would have, the Diggs drama escalated, and I’m not sure — as much as they liked Hopkins when they talked to him — they had another run in them.”

Finances also might have been another reason why Orchard Park never became a realistic landing spot for Hopkins. The Bills reportedly would have welcomed the 31-year-old if he wanted to “ring chase,” but Hopkins made it clear he wasn’t interested in playing on a significant discount.

The Titans certainly won’t be paying “Nuk” pennies on the dollar, as he reportedly can earn up to $32 million across the two-year deal he’s expected to sign in Tennessee.

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