The Baltimore Ravens were obviously listening whenever Lamar Jackson said he wanted to play alongside DeAndre Hopkins. That dream combination will now become a reality after Hopkins agreed a one-year deal with the Ravens in 2025 NFL free agency.
News of the contract was confirmed by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Tuesday, March 11. He confirmed terms are worth $6 million.
It’s a hefty price to pay for a 12-month rental, but the fee can be offset by equipping franchise quarterback Jackson with one of the best wide receivers of the modern era. A wideout Jackson has long wanted to have the chance to connect with on Sundays and even requested the Ravens sign two years ago.
As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic put it, “Hopkins and Lamar Jackson have talked about their desire to play together for a few years. Now, they’ll have that opportunity.”
Hopkins isn’t the force he once was, but the 32-year-old still comes alive in the red zone and knows how to set up defensive backs in space. Those qualities can make the five-time Pro Bowler Jackson’s go-to target this year, despite the Ravens not being short of dynamic pass-catchers.
There’ll be less pressure for Hopkins to dominate because the Ravens’ ground game has stayed strong after general manager Eric DeCosta kept his word to an All-Pro member of the backfield.
DeAndre Hopkins and Lamar Jackson Finally United
Hopkins has long been up front about his wish to catch passes from Jackson. He told the “I Am Athlete” podcast (h/t ESPN’s Jamison Hensley) back in 2023 how Jackson’s “one of the greats. I would be lying to sit here and say it wouldn’t be an honor one day, you know, if my career allows me to play that long, to play with a great guy and a great quarterback like Lamar.”
It didn’t happen for Hopkins two years ago because the Ravens had already signed Odell Beckham Jr. Naturally, there’ll be concerns about Hopkins being some sort of OBJ 2.0, but there are differences that ought to ease any such worries.
For one thing, Beckham signed with the Ravens following a year out of football spent rehabbing after tearing his left ACL for the second time. Hopkins, by contrast, has been healthy, missing just one game the last two seasons.
He split his time between the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs, playing the final 10 contests of the last campaign with the latter before a run that ended with defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59.
Hopkins scored a late touchdown in that game, and while he was far from electric, he did average 10.7 yards per reception over the course of the season. The veteran proved he can still gain separation and stretch coverage vertically by averaging 8.9 yards before catch per reception, according to Pro Football Reference.
Yet, Hopkins won’t need to get vertical as often with the Ravens. Not when Jackson can exploit the breakout talents of a burner like Rashod Bateman.
Where Hopkins will be most valuable is inside the 20-yard line. He made five grabs from 11 red-zone targets last season, per Player Profiler, all of them touchdowns.
Jackson can lean on Bateman for big plays outside the numbers. Slot receiver Zay Flowers and tight end Isaiah Likely will move the sticks between the hashmarks, but Jackson will look Hopkins’ way at the business end of the field.
It’s an area the Ravens will also continue pounding their way into after DeCosta brought back a key figure in the running game.
Eric DeCosta Kept Word to Patrick Ricard
Snagging Hopkins was the headline move for the Ravens on Tuesday, but re-signing fullback Patrick Ricard shouldn’t go totally under the radar. The All-Pro is returning on a “one-year, fully guaranteed deal,” according to Zrebiec’s colleague Dianna Russini.
Sorting out this contract was the best way for DeCosta to live up to his word about Ricard’s future. The GM told reporters back in January, “Pat knows how we feel about him, and I would love for him to retire as a Raven.”
Having Ricard back for at least another season ensures the Ravens will remain punishing on the ground. He’s a 6-foot-3, 300-pound bulldozer who loves nothing more than clearing the way for sledgehammer running back Derrick Henry.
The Ricard and Henry one-two punch will keep defenses softened up enough for Hopkins to maximize select connections with Jackson. Their combination could be the added spark the Ravens need for a renewed Super Bowl push.