Former All-Pro Receiver Wants to Join Joe Burrow on The Cincinnati Bengals
Suddenly, the Cincinnati Bengals have shown a willingness to swing a big deal. That proved true when Bengals general manager Duke Tobin agreed to ship the team’s first-round pick, No. 10 overall, to the New York Giants in exchange for star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
The Bengals were willing to make that move, knowing that Lawrence, a three-time Pro Bowl DT, would likely have a bigger instant impact than any incoming player in the 2026 NFL Draft class. With the Bengals clearly still looking to win now, could another veteran addition be coming? One player without a contract, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, recently stated his case to join the Bengals, where he wants to team up with Joe Burrow .
Hopkins feels Burrow is “ one of the best . ” Hopkins named the Bengals QB’s toughness and history of leading the team to a Super Bowl appearance in Burrow’s second season in the NFL as reasons for his choice. .
@DeAndreHopkins says he'd like to play with Joe Burrow 🔥 pic. twitter. com/aEJ5mXQMQv — Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 2, 2026 While Hopkins, 33, is clearly interested in continuing his football career, there hasn’t been any smoke on his market since becoming a free agent.
He’s also mentioned an interest in reuniting with his former Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray on the Minnesota Vikings . The Vikings did bring in a veteran receiver for a workout recently, so they’re clearly still searching for depth after the NFL Draft. Perhaps Hopkins could be a fit for Minnesota too, but they haven’t expressed any interest thus far.