The Chicago Bears' decision to move on from veteran wide receiver D.J. Moore was an easy one. They needed to get some money off their books, and, given the Bears' plethora of talented young pass-catchers, Moore was clearly the odd man out.
But even though they still have several solid homegrown talents, that doesn't mean the Bears should be done looking for options. That's especially true if they consider Rome Odunze's late-season disappearing act.
The former first-round pick suffered a foot injury in November and was forced to miss the final stretch of the regular season. Odunze had 41, 53, and eight receiving yards in his final three games and didn't score a single touchdown during that span. Rookies Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland trended up toward the end of the season, so he should be worried about no longer being the clear-cut primary pass catcher in the Windy City.
With that in mind, the Bears need Odunze to be as motivated as can be by September, which is why they could sign DeAndre Hopkins to light a fire under him.
Bears Should Sign DeAndre Hopkins to Push Rome Odunze
Of course, expecting Hopkins to be a big factor in 2026 is just not realistic. The five-time Pro Bowler only has one 1,000-yard performance in the last five seasons and is coming off a 2025 season that saw him finish with career-low outputs in receptions (22), yards (330), and touchdowns (2) in 17 games with the Baltimore Ravens.
Conversely, Hopkins can provide priceless mentorship to the Bears' young pass-catchers, and having him there fighting for touches should push Odunze and let him know that no one is safe.
According to OverTheCap, the Bears have about $243,000 in available cap money. That number will go up with the post-June 1 designations, but they still won't have that much cash to spend. As such, a cheap but proven veteran like Hopkins, who has a projected market value of just $1.48 million, per Spotrac, might be just what this team needs right now.
Of course, the Bears might have to outbid the rival Minnesota Vikings for his services. Hopkins recently talked about wanting to reunite with former Arizona Cardinals teammate and new Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray; however, Chicago's future being the much brighter of the two NFC North rivals might be enough to sway the free-agent playmaker.
Odunze has all the talent in the world and has clearly developed strong chemistry with Caleb Williams, but sometimes players need friendly competition and a push to reach their true potential. That might be the case here.
Hopkins isn't getting any younger, and he's never been the fastest guy out there, but he is a perennial threat in the end zone because of his ability to win contested catch situations. Even if he's not a long-term solution for the Bears, he can be both the carrot and the stick to bring the best out of their talented youngster while also giving them another reliable scoring option at a discount.