Ravens agree to 1-year deal with DeAndre Hopkins, add veteran WR to locker room: Source

By Dianna Russini, Jeff Zrebiec and Jelani Scott

Free-agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is set for his next destination after agreeing to terms with the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday, team sources confirmed.

Hopkins, who’s ranked No. 40 overall (No. 4 WR) on The Athletic’s NFL free agency top 150, heads to Baltimore on a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, league sources confirmed. The Ravens mark Hopkins’ third team in the past two years and the fifth stop in his 13-year career.

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The decision to join Baltimore could offer the declining Hopkins another shot at a championship after the five-time All-Pro finished his age-32 season with the Chiefs. Hopkins recorded 41 receptions for 437 yards and four touchdowns in 10 regular-season games (five starts) for Kansas City, adding three receptions for 29 yards and one touchdown across three playoff appearances.

The Chiefs lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, 40-22, in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, where Hopkins grabbed two catches for 18 yards and a score. While his brief Chiefs stint showed flashes, Hopkins could enter 2025 looking at a decreased role as he aims to add to his career totals of 984 receptions (first among all active wide receivers), 12,965 yards (second) and 83 touchdowns (fourth) in 178 games.

Hopkins has had 100-plus receiving yards in a game with 12 different starting quarterbacks, tied with DeSean Jackson and Joey Galloway for the most by any player in league history, per the NFL. In 2023, he recorded 75 receptions for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns to secure his first 1,000-yard season since 2020 and seventh of his career.

How he fits

Hopkins, one of the most accomplished wide receivers on the market, comes to Baltimore after splitting last season with the Titans and Chiefs. The 32-year-old had 56 catches for 610 yards and five touchdowns in 16 total games and averaged 10.9 yards per reception, the lowest mark of his career.

The Ravens have been rumored as a potential suitor for years, and Hopkins, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, has spoken excitedly about the opportunity to play with quarterback Lamar Jackson in the past. Jackson suggested to Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta before the 2023 season that the team acquire Hopkins and Odell Beckham Jr. The Ravens signed Beckham, and now two years later they’re adding Hopkins. — Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens beat writer

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2025 impact

Hopkins may have lost a step, but he’s still a strong route runner with reliable hands. He also won’t need to carry a heavy burden for the Ravens, who have Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman at wide receiver and Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely at tight end. Baltimore, though, is lacking in wide receiver depth behind Flowers and Bateman. Nelson Agholor, Tylan Wallace, Diontae Johnson, Deonte Harty and Steven Sims are all pending free agents.

Hopkins is the first outside free agent to sign with the Ravens this offseason. — Zrebiec

Cap update

The Ravens had roughly $12 million of cap space, but that was before the re-signing of left tackle Ronnie Stanley (three years, $60 million) and fullback Patrick Ricard (one year, $2.87 million) and the addition of Hopkins (one year, $5 million).

They’re moving on from cornerback Arthur Maulet and safety Marcus Williams to create some cap room, but the Ravens will need to make more cap-cutting moves to accommodate additions. Baltimore is up against the cap at the moment. — Zrebiec

Outlook

The Ravens still have plenty of moves and decisions to make. Nobody is labeling Hopkins the final piece of the Ravens’ Super Bowl puzzle. The reality, though, was that Baltimore needed another veteran wide receiver to play alongside Flowers and Bateman with Agholor potentially moving on. The addition of Hopkins, plus the likelihood that Baltimore will use one of its 11 picks next month on a wide receiver, should give the Ravens enough quality depth at a position they’ve struggled to get production from over the years.

The Ravens had the No.1-ranked offense in football last year, and now Hopkins, a potential Hall of Famer, is added to a Jackson supporting cast that includes Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Flowers, Bateman, Andrews and Likely. On paper, that’s a pretty nice group. — Zrebiec

Required reading

(Photo: Nick Cammett / Diamond Images via Getty Images)

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