Ravens Warned Against ‘Mirage’ Hot Start for $139 Million WR

Everyone has been without football for a long time. That means when we see something that looks good in training camp, we want to blow it out of proportion.

See that second round pick getting first team reps? They’re starting!

See last year’s Pro Bowler making plays in camp? They’re an All-Pro!

See Baltimore Ravens free agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins making a great catch? He’s back!

“This is Football” podcast host Kevin Clark warned against such hope and specifically, when it comes to Hopkins, that it’s probably a mirage after he made an impressive one-handed catch over cornerback Jaire Alexander during practice.

“Hopkins … I think we’re about done with Hopkins,” Clark said on July 25. “The pendulum has swung too far. Sometimes practice matters, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s all about context.”

The context with Hopkins is pretty clear after signing a 1-year, $5 million contract with the Ravens on March 11 — he’s shown he’s way past his prime way before showing up in Baltimore. Which doesn’t mean the Super Bowl contenders can’t necessarily use him this season.

What Success Might Look Like for Hopkins

The problem with Hopkins at his last few stops seems to be more with public perception — and memory — of him than what he actually brings to the table.

Hopkins is no longer the 5-time NFL All-Pro and 5-time Pro Bowler he was during his heyday in the 2010s with the Houston Texans but should be looked at more as a high upside WR2 or WR 3 option.

One advantage Hopkins has in Baltimore is he’s in one of the NFL’s scariest offenses and shouldn’t be called upon to carry the load in any significant way. That responsibility goes to 2-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson followed by NFL All-Pro running back Derrick Henry, who rushed for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns in his first season in Baltimore in 2024.

In the passing game, the Ravens not only have a 1,000 yard wide receiver in Zay Flowers but have another potential star in Rashod Bateman and 2 elite tight ends in Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.

That means for what he’s being paid in 2025, getting the type of production out of Hopkins he had last season with the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs with a combined 56 receptions for 610 yards and 5 touchdowns should probably be considered a success.

Fans Remember Hopkins for Tremendous 2010s Run

Hopkins made $14 million in 2024 and seeing that number drop $9 million for his current contract should hopefully temper expectations. The problem there is people remember him for his brilliance over the first part of his career — the player that’s racked up approximately $139 million in career earnings.

Drafted in the first round (No. 27 overall) out of Clemson by the Texans in the 2013 NFL draft, Hopkins had 7 seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards in the first decade of his career, including 3 seasons with over 1,300 receiving yards from 2017 to 2020.

The last 5 years of his career have mostly been defined by his time not playing football. Hopkins missed 7 games in 2021 due to a torn MCL and missed 8 games in 2022, including a 6-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on using performance-enhancing drugs.