The Chicago Bears are the reigning kings of the NFC North; however, that doesn't mean they're content with the status quo. The Bears have worked diligently throughout the offseason to improve their chances of winning back-to-back division titles for the first time since 2005 and 2006, and they'll likely do what it takes to end March on a high note.
Of course, the Bears have also been keeping tabs on what their NFC North rivals have been up to this offseason. That includes the Minnesota Vikings, who are garnering interest as the next potential stop for a certain former All-Pro wide receiver.
DeAndre Hopkins just shared his desire to reunite with his former Arizona Cardinals teammate and current Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray, via TMZ Sports, over the weekend.
"Kyler, that's my bro, man. Kyler is like family... Whatever I can do for someone like that — if Kyler needed me, if the Vikings need me, they know I'll be there."DeAndre Hopkins, free agent WR
Despite the impressive career he's had, the thought of Hopkins on the Vikings shouldn't cause a single Bears fan to lose a second of sleep.
DeAndre Hopkins Won't Be a Threat to Bears
Hopkins isn't what he used to be.
With one 1,000-yard season in his last five years, Hopkins' days of being a WR1 are long over. Let's also not ignore that he only has nine catches for 108 receiving yards and two touchdowns in four all-time meetings against the Bears, suggesting they've always had his number.
In Minnesota, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison get the lion's share of touches, and they already have a rising WR3 in Jalen Nailor. It'd be a mistake for Vikings vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski to cut Nailor's rise at the knee to pair a soon-to-be 34-year-old wideout with an oft-injured, undersized, $1.3 million free agent QB.
Speaking of which, it's not even guaranteed Murray will start under center.
Carson Wentz was brought back after filling in admirably for J.J. McCarthy, who's returning and may still be Kevin O'Connell's franchise pillar. There's still a QB question that needs to be answered. Signing more one-year vets and shaping your locker room around a guy who hasn't proven himself is not the way for the Vikings to build a contender back up after a jump from the NFC North's apex to just below the cellar from 2024 to 2025.
Then again, this is the team that built its identity around a fantasized version of McCarthy that hasn't even shown up in practice.
Hopkins still has some juice in the tank, even if it's not much, as he averaged 15.0 yards per reception on 22 catches with the Baltimore Ravens. That'd make him a suitable depth option on a team with Super Bowl aspirations, but he'll likely be asked to do too much, too soon at this stage of his career by a desperate team like the Vikings.
At the end of the day, a potential Hopkins signing or not, Minnesota isn't a team that Chicago should be worried about. The Vikings are having an identity crisis under center, so until that's solved, they won't be much of a threat to the Bears' divisional aspirations.
If Hopkins wants to end his career in Super Bowl glory inside the NFC North, there's a better option than the Vikings, and it's a team with an actual quarterback.