Dalvin Cook and DeAndre Hopkins are the top two players left in NFL free agency, and it seems the star running back is open to the idea of pairing up with the wide receiver on the same team in 2023.
DeAndre Hopkins and Dalvin Cook have been two of the best players at their positions over the last decade. Between the two of them, they have a whopping nine Pro Bowl appearances. However, after being dominant forces on offense for years, both find themselves looking for new homes this month.
Related: Dalvin Cooks free agency decision timeline revealed
After months of speculation and his representatives seeking out trades, Hopkins was cut by the Arizona Cardinals in May. Then in June, the Minnesota Vikings took the bold step that had been rumored for months and actually cut Cook after reaching the Pro Bowl for a fourth straight year in 2022. Now, both are seen as aging talents available to the highest bidder in NFL free agency.
While many expect each to land in different parts of the country, it seems Dalvin Cook would love to see them team up in the same uniform next season. During a Tuesday chat with ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the star back said playing with Hopkins would be “epic for the NFL.”
“I know his mindset, and I done play against D-Hop a numerous amount of times. When I been with D-Hop, we done chill together, we done been around each other like, and it’s like I kind of see the person that he is like, he want to win and that’s what my mind at to. I want to go win.”
– Dalvin Cook
While it is unlikely, let’s look at three teams that could do the unthinkable and sign both Dalvin Cook and DeAndre Hopkins soon.
Chicago Bears
In terms of actual cap space to give the two proven veterans the sort of money they would actually want, the Chicago Bears have the most space with $31 million heading into the summer. While the organization is still in a rebuild, signing the two stars would certainly kickstart things and give Justin Fields the weapons needed to be a legitimate contender in the NFC North this season.
Plus, signing Cook would be a nice way to stick it to the Vikings by having their former star play them twice next season.
New York Jets
The New York Jets are clearly in win-now mode. They have been linked to Hopkins previously and made a strong push to sign Odell Beckham Jr. in the spring. While they don’t have a ton of expendable cash, they have enough where they could get both for the discount rate they might take to play with Aaron Rodgers and go hard for their first Super Bowl titles in 2023.
Houston Texans
There have already been reports that DeAndre Hopkins is open to a reunion with the team where he became a superstar, the Houston Texans. With a rookie QB set to start in Week 1, CJ Stroud will need all the help he can get. Adding Dalvin Cook and Hopkins would certainly go a long way in helping ease his development and make the Texans a dark horse in an already weak AFC South heading into 2023.