6 pros and cons of the Carolina Panthers signing free-agent DeAndre Hopkins

Con No. 3
DeAndre Hopkins might not want to join Carolina Panthers
With DeAndre Hopkins perhaps entering the twilight of his career, the veteran wideout has his eyes set on joining a Super Bowl contender. The Carolina Panthers, meanwhile, are in Year 1 of a full-fledged rebuild after moving on from Matt Rhule and trading franchise cornerstones such as Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore.
Several signs already point to Hopkins not being an ideal fit for the Panthers. In a recent appearance on "I Am Athlete", the player named the five quarterbacks he would most want to link up with.
Unsurprisingly, no rookies made the list. Instead, Hopkins listed Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert as the signal-callers he would most want to catch passes from.
Deandre Hopkins on his TOP 5 Quarterbacks he wants the ball thrown to him from 👀⬇️
— I AM ATHLETE (@IAMATHLETEpod) May 22, 2023
1) @JoshAllenQB
2) @JalenHurts
3) @PatrickMahomes
4) @Lj_era8
5) #JustinHerbert pic.twitter.com/JZKTf2x0Wy
Hopkins was also asked about potentially playing alongside a rookie quarterback, to which he responded "I'm past that point in my career".
Deandre Hopkins on I Am Athlete talking about playing with a young rookie QB pic.twitter.com/8D3AH6bSha
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) May 26, 2023
A potential move for Hopkins may also be awkward for at least one member of the Panthers' coaching staff. DeAngelo Hall, who joined Carolina's staff as an assistant defensive backs coach in February, had a high-profile feud with the player in 2015.
At the time, Hall was a cornerback with Washington while Hopkins was entering his third season with the Houston Texans. During a joint practice in the preseason, Hall engaged in some trash talk directed at Hopkins. The receiver then proceeded to burn Hall on a route, leaving the defensive back with an injury to both his ankles and his ego.
August 8, 2015: That joint practice between Washington and Houston where DeAngelo Hall trash talked DeAndre Hopkins before Hopkins broke his ankles (🎥 via HBO Hard Knocks) pic.twitter.com/QyVzQjkYL0
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) August 8, 2020
While the events of that day are now nearing their eight-year anniversary, there is no doubt that Hopkins and Hall still remember their legendary interaction.
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