The Baltimore Ravens have a knack for acquiring high-profile receivers with the hope of getting just enough from the passing offense to get over the hump. From Odell Beckham Jr. to Sammy Watkins, Dez Bryant to Michael Crabtree, over-the-hill first-round receivers are a mainstay in Baltimore.
The Ravens are hoping veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins breaks the trend and staves off Father Time long enough to win a Super Bowl.
Baltimore signed Hopkins to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million on Tuesday.
In doing so, he’ll join quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry in one of the most accomplished offensive cores in the sport.
Ironically, an old Hopkins tweet is going viral after the Ravens signing became official.
On Feb. 2, 2020, Hopkins took to Twitter to share a picture of that aforementioned trio, wondering “How many TD’s would this trio total?”
Call it a twist of fate or an act of manifestation. Whatever it may be, the answer is undoubtedly “a lot.”
However, Hopkins only scored five touchdowns in 2024, capping off the worst healthy season of his career. He posted just 610 yards across six games with the Tennessee Titans and 10 with the Kansas City Chiefs. He even posted more yards (717) in 2022, when he played just nine games.
In Baltimore, he won’t be asked to be the seven-time 1,000-yard receiver of his prime. Behind receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, there’s no guarantee he gets on the field much in 12 personnel, either.
Hopkins should slide in as an X receiver who’s asked to win consistently at the catch point, helping as a security blanket and winning above the rim in the red zone.
Hopkins isn’t being paid like a star, and he likely won’t produce like one, either. That isn’t necessarily an indictment on his talent or an admission that retirement is looming. But this isn’t a high-volume passing offense, and between Flowers, Bateman, Mark Andrews, and Isaiah Likely, there are a lot of mouths to feed.
He won’t need to be the team’s leading receiver, or particularly close, to be seen as a success. As long as he makes plays in January and increases the answer to his half-decade-old tweet, Hopkins should go down as a quality Raven.
