Bills BREAKING: Cardinals Cut DeAndre Hopkins; Should Buffalo Sign?

DeAndre Hopkins' release now potentially opens up the door for the Buffalo Bills to sign him to a new deal rather than trade away players or future draft assets.

So much for all that trade talk.

After months of back-and-forth trade rumors, the Arizona Cardinals have instead decided to release star receiver DeAndre Hopkins, the team announced Friday. The move comes before the June 1 designation, meaning the Cardinals will take on the entire $22.6 million dead cap hit in 2023, per reports from NFL Network.

The Buffalo Bills have long been discussed as a potential trade partner this offseason, a topic that was continuously brought up due to the constant "flirting" between Hopkins and Bills linebacker Von Miller. Making numerous media appearances, Hopkins has been asked about the Bills and showed some intriguing signs of indirect interest. On the other hand, Miller made it absolutely clear that he wants Hopkins in Buffalo.

"But we got another guy out there that we could possibly get, DeAndre Hopkins man," Miller said last month. "If you could just imagine here with me, DeAndre Hopkins Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Dawson Knox, (James) Cook, Damien Harris, Josh Allen. … That is a crazy lineup."

Hopkins' release now potentially opens up the door for the Bills to sign him to a new deal rather than give up players or future draft assets for him. Of course, Buffalo will need to offer Hopkins a contract that pleases him while keeping things affordable for the team, something that could prove to be tricky.

But with Miller as a Bills spokesperson of sorts, the team might be willing to jump through some hoops to land him.

"We got a lot of talent over there man, but I think I think DeAndre Hopkins would put it over the top," Miller said "So I think that would be huge for us to get a guy like Nuk, to get a guy like DeAndre Hopkins man. We just have to wait and see because things happen."

During Arizona's abysmal 4-13 finish this past season, Hopkins still finished as the team's leader in receiving yards (717) despite missing eight games, six of which came in the first six weeks of the season due to a PED suspension.

The five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro selection will be entering his 11th season in 2023.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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