Latest News on Aaron Rodgers, DeAndre Hopkins, DJ Moore, and Others

With the launch of the NFL Free Agency just days away, rumors are gathering momentum. However, since the negotiation window doesn’t open until Monday, most of the free agency rumors and news actually revolve around trades that have either been made or could be made in the coming days.

Let’s take a look at the latest news and rumors going free including the situation surrounding Aaron Rodgers, DeAndre Hopkins and Odell Beckham Jr. as well as yesterday’s massive trading.

Latest NFL Free Agency Rumors and News

Will Aaron Rodgers say yes to the Jets?

Aaron Rodgers’ story about the New York Jets has been on the verge of a possible conclusion for the past few days. On Thursday morning, ESPN Diani Russini tweeted That “there is optimism in the Jets’ organization that they are close to landing in the future Hall of Fame QB,” according to a source close to ESPN.

Tom Pelissero also reported on Good Morning Football that the Jets were open to the draft compensation that would be required to acquire Rodgers. Things have been reasonably quiet since then, and it seems we’re all now waiting for Rodgers to decide what he wants to do.

Saturday morning SNY’s Connor Hughes tweeted that his understanding is that “anything that needs to be done is done in essence in terms of a trade. Pages have worked out what needs to be worked out.”

On Friday afternoon, Packers President Mark Murphy didn’t rule out Rodgers could be on the team in 2023. However, his comments suggested that the team at this point prefer to continue without Rodgers.

“I mean, unless things don’t go the way we want them to, yeah,” Murphy said. “He’s obviously a great player and a four-time MVP, but I think he’s trying to figure out what he wants and what we want and hopefully we can find a win-win.”

So now we’re waiting for Rodgers to decide whether he wants to play the next stage of his career in Green Bay or New York. For those of you feeling deja vu, it’s been 15 years since another Packers QB, Brett Favre, made the same move from Wisconsin to New Jersey. Will history repeat itself?

Could DeAndre Hopkins be the next domino to fall?

While most eyes have been on Rodgers’ future, DeAndre Hopkins’ future is another big domino that could fall before the free hand. The Arizona Cardinals WR told the Pat McAfee Show that he is aware of the rumors but has made it clear that he is not getting carried away.

Despite his injury woes in recent years, Hopkins would most likely be the star of this year’s free agency class if he were in the open market. However, a Report by Mike Jurecki that the Cardinals are looking for a second-round pick and a conditional pick or player exponentially increases the cost compared to a free agency signing.

When you add that Hopkins’ contract makes him one of the highest-paid WRs in the league, and he’s entering the most expensive part of that heavily recharged contract, there’s a lot for potential buyers to consider. Ian Rapoport reported that Hopkins is open to flexibility, but at 30 and having missed 15 games in the last two years, will teams be concerned about investing so much to acquire Hopkins?

DJ Moore an immediate upgrade for the Chicago Bears after the Carolina Panthers trade

You may have heard Friday night that the Carolina Panthers caused quite a stir when they were traded for the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. In return, the Panthers sent first-round picks in 2023 and 2024, as well as a 61 pick in 2023, a second-round pick in 2025 and their star wide receiver DJ Moore. The Panthers now control the draft, but which QB are they eyeing?

As for Moore, his move to Chicago makes for an intriguing group of recipients for the Bears. He joins the injured Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, who was acquired mid-season in 2022, and tight end Cole Kmet as expected top weapons for the Bears. The addition of Moore should allow the Bears to focus their resources on the offensive line and further bolster their free-hand defense.

Will Odell Beckham be signed after his private training?

On Friday, Beckham hosted a private practice session in Arizona that was reportedly attended by 12 NFL teams. Staying on the subject of the Jets looking to make a difference this offseason, Josina Anderson confirmed that they were one of the teams present.

As a free agent throughout the 2022 season, Beckham can be signed at any time and doesn’t have to wait for the new league season like most other free agent wide receivers.

Playing in Beckham’s favor is that the wide receiver’s current free-agent rating is viewed by some as a little underwhelming. There is no clear star at the top of the list, with Beckham arguably considered the most talented.

His injury history is likely to be an issue for many teams so it will be exciting to see if he can find an agreement with a team before the market opens this week.