The Arizona Cardinals acquired one of the best receivers in the NFL this offseason when they traded for DeAndre Hopkins. In his view, they didn’t just get one of the best. They got the best receiver in the game.
“I definitely think I’m the best. I know I’m the best,” he said on ESPN’s Jalen and Jacoby. New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas recently declared the same thing on the show, but Hopkins wanted to set the record straight.
“Mike’s my boy. I love Mike,” he said, “but he knows that if I had Drew Brees my whole career what these numbers would be.”
He said the same thing about Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones. with whom he works out in the offseason.
“Julio Jones knows that if I had Matt Ryan my whole career, he knows what these numbers would be,” he said.
As it is, over the last five seasons, he has the most targets and second-most receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in the league, and he has done it without continuity at quarterback.
With the Houston Texans, he did have two seasons with Deshaun Watson, but he also had to play with guys like Matt Schaub, T.J. Yates, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Case Keenum.
“Those guys are definitely blessed to be in a position where their whole career they had a Pro Bowl quarterback, a quarterback they spent multiple seasons with,” he said. He did say Watson is a legitimate franchise quarterback but he only got two seasons with him.
Now he joins the Cardinals with Kyler Murray. They have certainty at the position. Murray will be the guy for several years.
Hopkins, who has three years remaining on his current contract hopes to be here a while with Murray.
“Hopefully I’m able to play more than three seasons with a quarterback,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve done that.”
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.
Ep. 267
Ep. 266
