With training camp fast approaching, it appears the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans are leading the chase for five-time Pro Bowl receiver DeAndre Hopkins — they are the only two teams Hopkins has visited so far.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills reportedly have interest if Hopkins is willing to come at a bargain price, which is unlikely for a player who earned $58 million during the last three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.

Why the Patriots Make Sense

While the Titans have the greatest need at wide receiver, the Patriots are the best fit and the team I consider most likely to sign the 31-year-old Hopkins, who remains an elite receiver when healthy. He has six seasons of more than 1,000 receiving yards and had 64 receptions for 727 yards and three TDs despite missing six games due to a PED suspension last season.

After an 8-9 finish in 2022, the Patriots look like the worst team in the tough AFC East. Buffalo is the three-time defending champ, the Miami Dolphins made the playoffs in 2022 and are considered on the rise and the New York Jets added Aaron Rodgers to a team with a top-five defense.

The Patriots ruled the AFC East in the Tom Brady–era, but now they could use a splashy signing to upgrade their offense and better compete in their division.

Quarterback Mac Jones’ performance fell off last season after a fine rookie year when he led the Patriots to the playoffs. A lack of quality receivers and offensive coordinator issues, along with lesser play on his part, contributed to Jones dropping from 14th to 27th in quarterback rating as the team’s offense declined from eighth to 26th.

This is a pivotal season for the third-year signal caller. His fifth-year option exercise and potential extension come into play in 2024, so he would love to add a formidable weapon — Hopkins — to his supporting cast.

How Hopkins Fits

New England has not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Julian Edelman in 2019. The team’s leading receiver the past two seasons — Jakobi Meyers (804 receiving yards in 2022) — left for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency. The Patriots signed JuJu Smith-Schuster to replace Meyers but that was for an affordable $8.5 million per year, and Smith-Schuster has not been a 1,000-yard receiver since 2018 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

New England signed ex-Dolphin Mike Gesicki, a quality tight end who is a receiving threat, to a one-year, $4.5 million contract to pair with Hunter Henry.

The Patriots did not draft a wide receiver until the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft (Kayshon Boutte from LSU). New England’s top three wide receivers project to be: Smith-Schuster, 30-year-old DeVante Parker and 2022 second-round pick Tyquan Thornton.

Parker only had 31 receptions for 539 yards and three TDs last season, while the speedy Thornton broke his clavicle during the preseason, missed four games and produced only 22 catches for 247 yards and two TDs.

A Surprising Reunion?

Another interesting connection between the Patriots and Hopkins involves offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, who Bill Belichick brought back to solidify the offense. O’Brien was the Patriots’ offensive coordinator in the 2011 Super Bowl season before leaving to be the head coach at Penn State. O’Brien then went to the Houston Texans, where Hopkins had five seasons of more than 1,000 yards receiving and was a three-time first-team All-Pro in O’Brien’s offense.

Their relationship was in question after O’Brien (as the Texans’ general manager and head coach) traded Hopkins to the Cardinals in 2020, but the two are reportedly on good terms. So O’Brien could be a key in recruiting Hopkins to New England.

The Patriots also have the most cap space ($15.9 million) among the reported Hopkins suitors as compared with the Titans ($8.4 million), Bills ($5 million) and Chiefs (less than $1 million).

New England can afford a deal in the range of $15-18 million per year with significant incentives and escalators to get him closer to the league’s highest-paid receivers. Any projected deal could include some voidable years to lower the cap hit.

Hopkins could be a difference-maker if he is paired with Smith-Schuster as the team’s starting duo. Either Parker or Thornton as the No. 3 wideout, and the Gesicki/Henry combo will add to Jones’ receiving arsenal. More firepower at receiver should open things up for top back Rhamondre Stevenson and a Patriots’ running game that ranked No. 24 last season.

New England is obviously a higher-profile team than Tennessee, which should appeal to Hopkins. The Patriots play in a much better division and in one of the country’s top sports markets. Plus, they own six Lombardi Trophies from the dynasty era under Belichick and Brady.

Other Contenders

Tennessee Titans

Jones should improve under O’Brien’s tutelage and presents a better quarterback option than the one the Titans have: a muddled situation with the oft-injured Ryan Tannehill, who was benched at one point last season and ended his season on injured reserve due to an ankle injury. The Titans have Malik Willis as a backup and drafted Will Levis in the second round, but how soon will he be ready to start?

The Titans’ wide receiver corps is shaky with Treylon Burks as the leading returnee (33 catches, 444 yards and three TDs last season), no major free agent receiver signings and no draftees until Round 7 (Colton Dowell). With Derrick Henry still an elite back, the Titans are more of a run-oriented team than the Patriots, Chiefs or Bills.

Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City is tight against the cap and drafted two wide receivers in the second round the past two years (Skyy Moore and Rashee Rice) to go along with Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney and free agent signee Richie James.

Plus, they have the league’s best tight end in Travis Kelce, who is always Patrick Mahomes’ No. 1 target. Mahomes found a way to win last year’s Super Bowl without an elite wide receiver after Tyreek Hill was traded.

Buffalo Bills

Buffalo is an intriguing option. The Bills are always in the Super Bowl conversation with Pro Bowl quarterback Josh Allen. Hopkins and Stefon Diggs would make a potent duo. Current No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis has been up and down, and Trent Sherfield is a low-cost free-agent addition who will battle for a roster spot with Deonte Harty, Khalil Shakir and fifth-round rookie Justin Shorter. First-round tight end Dalton Kincaid will also help the passing game.

Hopkins would upgrade Buffalo’s wide receiver group, but he can’t be excited by the reports the Bills are only interested if he is willing to lower his asking price and “ring chase.” If the money is about equal, Hopkins may prefer to play in Tennessee rather than the other three locations because, among Clemson, Houston and Arizona, he hasn’t played for a cold-weather team.

But the signs point to the Patriots as the best fit. They have the best chance to land a receiver who could alter the perception of the team from a likely bottom-feeder to a possible playoff contender.

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Jeff Diamond is a former Vikings GM, former Tennessee Titans President and was selected NFL Executive of the Year after the Vikings’ 15-1 season in 1998. He now works for the NFL agent group IFA based in Minneapolis. Follow him on Twitter at @jeffdiamondnfl.