DeAndre Hopkins Rumors: Teams Avoid Emailing WR in Fear of Agent Pretending to Be WR

DeAndre Hopkins is a generational talent at wide receiver who will presumably garner plenty of interest as a free agent after the Arizona Cardinals released him on Friday, but there is reportedly some hesitation on the part of teams when it comes to emailing him because of uncertainty about who will be the one reading and responding.

"Multiple teams have been shying away from sending emails to and from receiver DeAndre Hopkins, given the possibility that they'll be communicating not with Hopkins but with a non-certified agent who is pretending to be Hopkins," Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported. "Instead, those teams insist on talking directly to Hopkins—and only Hopkins."

Florio explained it is "well known" among the NFL's teams that players sometimes set up email accounts and then let non-certified agents negotiate on their behalf while posing as said player in the communications.

Yet multiple warnings from the league against contacting non-certified agents may be leading to this hesitation.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in March that the NFL sent teams a memo warning against negotiating with uncertified agent Ken Francis, who "may be contacting clubs and attempting to persuade club personnel to enter into negotiations with or concerning Lamar Jackson."

Jackson denied that Francis was negotiating for him and eventually signed a five-year, $260 million extension with the Baltimore Ravens.

In August 2022, the NFL warned teams a non-certified agent named "Saint Omni" was representing then-Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith and attempting to work out trades with other teams.

Chicago ultimately traded Smith to the Ravens.

While teams are apparently hesitant to email Hopkins, he is the biggest remaining free agent this offseason. His resume includes five Pro Bowl selections and three All-Pro First Team nods.

He also has six seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards and could make the difference in the Super Bowl chase if he joins a presumed contender.