DeAndre Hopkins isn’t done yet-not if you ask him. And not if you listen to what he said recently about a potential pairing with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
Hopkins joined Up & Adams with Kay Adams and didn’t hold back when asked about what he could bring to Buffalo. The 33-year-old wideout, a three-time First-Team All-Pro and one of the most productive receivers of his era, made it clear: teaming up with Allen could be something special.
“Me and Josh Allen could do some damage, for sure,” Hopkins said, flashing the kind of confidence that made him a nightmare for defensive backs for over a decade.
When asked if he could see himself becoming a “Buffalo guy,” Hopkins gave the kind of answer that cuts through the noise. “I’m a football guy now, and Buffalo is a football team, and Josh Allen is a football player,” he said. “He’s a player’s player, as we say.”
That’s not just lip service. Hopkins knows what it’s like to produce in less-than-ideal quarterback situations.
He pointed to his 2023 season in Tennessee, where he still managed to rack up over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns with rookie Will Levis under center. That’s not an easy feat, especially in an offense that wasn’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard.
“I’m quarterback-proof,” Hopkins said. “Give me a Josh Allen, and who knows.”
That’s the pitch. And while it might not be the same DeAndre Hopkins who once posted four seasons of 1,350+ yards and terrorized secondaries with his toe-tap sideline grabs and contested catches, there’s still reason to believe he can contribute-especially in a Buffalo offense that could use a steady veteran presence.
Let’s not forget: Hopkins has over 13,000 career receiving yards and 85 touchdowns. That kind of résumé doesn’t just disappear overnight.
But the last two seasons have been a different story. After a productive year with the Titans in 2023, he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs mid-2024, then signed a one-year deal with the Ravens.
In Baltimore, his production dipped-just 330 yards and two touchdowns on the season. Altogether, he’s totaled 940 yards and seven touchdowns over the last two years.
That’s a far cry from his prime, but context matters. Hopkins has bounced between systems and quarterbacks, and hasn’t had the kind of stability that lets a receiver thrive. The question now is whether Buffalo could be the right fit at the right time.
The Bills are heading into 2026 with some uncertainty at wide receiver. Stefon Diggs’ future is unclear, and while there’s promise in young talent like Keon Coleman, there’s also a need for experience and leadership in that room. Hopkins wouldn’t need to be the WR1 he once was-he’d just need to be reliable, savvy, and able to make plays when it counts.
That’s where a guy like Hopkins could still shine. He’s not going to outrun corners anymore, but he can still body up defenders, find soft spots in zone coverage, and win in the red zone. And with Josh Allen’s arm talent and improvisational ability, there’s a real possibility this duo could make life difficult for opposing defenses.
It’s not a move that guarantees fireworks, but it’s one that makes football sense. For Buffalo, a team that’s been knocking on the Super Bowl door for years, adding a veteran like Hopkins could be the kind of low-risk, high-upside decision that pays off down the stretch.
Hopkins believes he’s still got something left in the tank. Now the question is whether the Bills believe it too.